Parasitic Diseases in Livestock

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, entitled “Parasitic Diseases in Livestock”, aims to present recent research on any aspect (i.e., etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention) of parasitic diseases of livestock. These diseases are caused by both endoparasites (helminths and protozoa) and ectoparasites, including those responsible for the transmission of vector-borne pathogens. The term “livestock” refers to any domesticated animal species raised to provide food and other products, including cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, equines, and poultry. Parasitic diseases pose severe risks to animal health, welfare, and productivity, which in turn impacts the economy. Households which produce food of animal origin for their own sustenance or as a means of earning a living—that is, ‘family farms’—are particularly vulnerable. Indeed, parasites may impact animal reproduction and productivity, and eventually also cause mortality, all of which are associated with monetary loss to the farmer. Additionally, the economic consequences of some parasitic diseases for large-scale farming operations can be devastating on a country-wide level. Moreover, since many parasite species are zoonotic, the burden on human health and the effect on well-being should also be considered. In the spirit of One Health, the control of parasitic diseases in animals and the correct diagnostic approach are of the utmost importance for improving and achieving optimal human health. Due to the rapid emergence of antiparasitic drug resistance, insight into resistance mechanisms and the development of appropriate treatment schemes are urgently needed. 

This Special Issue’s focal points include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Epidemiology of parasitic diseases in the livestock industry.
• Impact of parasites on herd economy.
• Zoonotic parasites of livestock.
• Molecular characterization and influence on virulence.
• Implementation of innovative tools for diagnostics.
• Treatment and drug resistance.
• Control and prevention.

Reviews, original research papers, and communications are welcome.

Dr. Luca Villa
Dr. Aleksandra Uzelac
Dr. Ivana Klun
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.