A Comprehensive Review of Progress and Persistence in Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDS): Next-Generation Diagnostics Integrating Animal and Environmental Strategies for NTD Control

NTDs persist in animals’ populations because of complicated interactions between livestock and wildlife reservoirs, vectors, and the environment. The present review offers the in-depth analysis of the current developments and the current issues in the control of NTDs with particular attention to the animal-based data and environmental determinants. It outlines the importance of animal reservoirs in perpetuating transmission cycles and explores how ecological factors like climate variability, land-use alterations and the dynamics of vectors affect disease persistence. The review also analyzes the progress of next-generation diagnostics, such as molecular, biosensors, and environmental DNA (eDNA), which have contributed to a considerable enhancement in the accuracy of detection and surveillance. Nevertheless, constraints connected to field applicability, expensive nature, and disjointed surveillance systems remain a barrier to successful implementation. The results highlight the need to consider the incorporation of both animal health surveillance and environmental surveillance to improve early detection and control interventions. Moreover, review indicates important gaps in research such as the underrepresentation of wildlife reservoirs and the lack of scalable and cost-effective diagnostic tools. On the whole, it highlights the need to implement interdisciplinary and combined solutions to ensure sustainable and effective management of NTDs in animals.