The Unseen Link: Climate Change and Parasite Dynamics
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Public Health Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 22
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleague,
Climate change impacts temperature increase, changes in rainfall, extreme weather events and the migration of people. All of the above, in turn, influence parasites since these microorganisms often follow patterns which are geographically specific (with tropical and subtropical regions being most affected), seasonal (related to rainfall and temperature) and dependent on vectors (mosquitoes, snails, flies). More specifically, temperature increase accelerates parasite and vector development cycles, increasing the window and expanding the geographic range of vectors into previously cooler areas. Increased rainfall and flooding leads to an increase in waterborne parasites and affects vector and intermediate host populations. Extreme weather events such as drought can force animals and people to congregate around shared water sources, increasing disease transmission. Finally, climate refugees may bring parasitic diseases into new regions, with overcrowding in refugee camps increasing transmission. This alteration of the transmission dynamics of parasites and the diseases they cause has far-reaching effects across ecosystems, for example by impacting livestock, increasing infections in animals, reducing productivity, and requiring more veterinary care and treatment. With regard to human health, vulnerable populations in the developing South are disproportionately affected due to limited health infrastructure and climate resilience. Predicting the responses of parasites to climate change is emerging as an area of growing concern. Future research should aim to expand the monitoring of parasites and vectors in changing regions and develop climate–parasite predictive models (GIS and satellite data integration), assesses sustainable vector control strategies under changing climates, and implement cross-border surveillance and cooperation. It is also essential to integrate human, animal, and environmental health under the One Health approach.
Although relevant in wider context, macroparasites fall outside the scope of this Special Issue.
Dr. Isaia Symeonidou
Guest Editor
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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.
Keywords
- animal parasites
- climate change
- parasitic diseases
- vector-borne diseases
- One Health
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
