The wildlife-livestock interface is an important setting for the emergence and transmission of infectious and parasitic diseases, driven by environmental change, animal movement, shared grazing resources and livestock management practices. Central Asian rangelands, particularly those in Kazakhstan, provide an important context for examining these dynamics because migratory saiga antelopes (Saiga tatarica) share habitats with domestic livestock, including sheep. This review examines the ecological, epidemiological, host-related and molecular factors influencing disease emergence at the wildlife–livestock interface, using the saiga–sheep system as a case study within a One Health framework. Particular attention is given to Pasteurella multocida, gastrointestinal nematodes and Coenurus cerebralis, alongside the potential influence of host genetic susceptibility, climatic variability and shared environmental exposure. Available evidence indicates that spatial overlap and the occurrence of related pathogens in wildlife and livestock provide opportunities for cross-species transmission but do not, in themselves, establish transmission or its direction. The review highlights the importance of integrating ecological surveillance, molecular characterization, genomic epidemiology and temporally matched sampling to distinguish shared exposure from genuine pathogen exchange and sustained transmission. It further discusses the role of livestock management, conservation-based veterinary interventions and coordinated institutional collaboration in mitigating disease risks. An integrated One Health approach combining movement ecology, molecular diagnostics, host susceptibility assessment and targeted preventive measures is essential to strengthen disease surveillance, protect wildlife populations and support sustainable livestock production in shared rangeland ecosystems.

To Cite This Article: Zainettinova D, Kozhayeva A, Satybayev B, Wen D, Khussainov D, Amanova Z, Janabekova G, Kenzhebekova Z, Zhubantayeva A, Akatova R, Niyatova A, Nartay B and Kazantseva A, 2026. Emerging infectious diseases at the wildlife and livestock interface: a one health perspective from the saiga antelope and domestic sheep system. Pak Vet J, 46(9): 2194-2204. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2026.212