Protozoan Parasites in Domestic and Wildlife Animals

Dear Colleagues,

Protozoan parasites are among the most diverse and widespread pathogens infecting domestic and wildlife animals, with complex life cycles that often involve multiple hosts and environmental reservoirs. They are of growing concern not only for animal health and production but also for wildlife conservation and public health, as many species are zoonotic or have the potential to bridge the domestic–wildlife interface. Within the framework of One Health, understanding their transmission dynamics, host specificity, and epidemiological drivers has become a research priority.

This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research on protozoan parasites in animals by bringing together studies from both classical parasitology and modern pathogen research. The issue will focus on (i) species diversity and integrative taxonomy; (ii) phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary patterns; (iii) host–parasite interactions and life cycle complexity; and (iv) epidemiology, transmission pathways, and zoonotic and food-borne risks in domestic and wildlife systems.

We welcome original research and review articles employing multidisciplinary approaches, including molecular diagnostics, sequencing technologies, population genetics, experimental and ecological studies, as well as morphological and ultrastructural analyses. Contributions describing new host records, understudied regions, and parasite transmission between different host species are particularly encouraged. However, submissions are not limited to these topics, and studies covering other relevant aspects of protozoan parasite biology are also strongly encouraged.

By bringing together data across different host species, ecosystems, and methodological approaches, this Special Issue seeks to address current knowledge gaps and foster an integrated understanding of protozoan parasite biology and epidemiology. Ultimately, it aims to provide a scientific basis for improved surveillance, control strategies, and risk assessment, benefiting animal health, wildlife conservation, and public health.

We look forward to your contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Pathogens.

Dr. Petras Prakas
Dr. Eglė Rudaitytė-Lukošienė
Dr. Tamara Muñoz-Caro
Prof. Dr. Luiz Daniel De Barros
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. Parasitologia is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 1200 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.

• protozoan parasites
• integrative taxonomy
• wildlife and veterinary parasitology
• zoonotic parasites
• molecular diagnosis
• phylogeny
• population genetics
• host–parasite interactions
• epidemiology
• surveillance and control
• one health