Parasites and Vectors: Diversity and Ecological Interactions
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 April 2026 | Viewed by 28
Special Issue Editors
Interests: veterinary medicine; piroplasmids; cats; parasitology; protozoology; parasitology and parasitic
Interests: bacteria; quorum sensing; resistance; virulence; drug repurposing; stress response; social cheating
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Parasites and their vectors play a fundamental role in ecosystems, influencing host populations, disease transmission, and biodiversity dynamics. With over 300,000 described parasitic species—ranging from protozoa and helminths to ectoparasites such as ticks, fleas, and lice—parasites represent an immense yet still largely unexplored component of global biodiversity. Ectoparasites with vectorial roles, along with temporarily blood-feeding arthropods such as mosquitoes, are key players in pathogen transmission, significantly impacting human and animal health worldwide.
The study of parasites has been closely linked to the development of medicine and epidemiology, with historical records of helminths dating back to ancient texts. However, despite centuries of research, it is estimated that over 70% of parasitic species remain undiscovered, particularly in understudied ecosystems and cryptic host–parasite relationships. Advances in molecular techniques, next-generation sequencing, and ecological modeling are now revolutionizing parasite discovery and classification, shedding new light on their diversity and ecological interactions.
This Special Issue invites contributions exploring parasite and vector diversity, epidemiology, host–parasite interactions, and ecological dynamics. We welcome original research and review articles that enhance our understanding of these complex organisms and their ecological significance.
Dr. Luciana Panait
Dr. Rodolfo Garcia-Contreras
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- biodiversity
- vector-borne diseases
- host–parasite interactions
- parasitic zoonoses
- ecology
- epidemiology
- disease transmission
- vector competence
- emerging parasitic diseases
- taxonomy and systematics
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