Filarial Infections in Humans: Advances in Epidemiology and Immunological Insights

A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366). This special issue belongs to the section "Vector-Borne Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 19 December 2025 | Viewed by 57

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology (IMMIP), University Hospital Bonn Venusberg-Campus 1, Building 63, Room 1G 003, D-53127 Bonn, Germany
Interests: human helminth infections; neglected tropical diseases; host-parasite interaction; murine filarial model

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of filarial infections in humans, with a particular focus on cutting-edge research in epidemiology, immunology, and translational science.

Filarial diseases continue to pose a significant global health burden, particularly in endemic regions of the tropics and subtropics. This Special Issue will showcase recent progress in understanding the epidemiological landscape of these infections, including trends in geographical distribution, transmission dynamics, and disease control strategies. We invite contributions that explore the impacts of climate change, urbanisation, and public health interventions on the epidemiology and spread of filarial diseases.

A central theme of this Special Issue will be the investigation of host–parasite interactions and the immunological mechanisms that underpin filarial infection, persistence, and pathogenesis. We encourage submissions that elucidate how filarial parasites evade or manipulate host immune responses, as well as studies that identify biomarkers of infection, immune correlates of protection, or immunopathological outcomes associated with chronic disease.

This Special Issue will also highlight the critical role of murine filarial models in advancing our understanding of filarial biology and host immunity. These experimental systems continue to provide valuable insights into the molecular and cellular basis of parasite survival, immune modulation, and disease progression and serve as essential platforms for the preclinical evaluation of novel vaccines and therapeutics. In addition, the emerging use of organoid models—three-dimensional, stem-cell-derived in vitro systems that mimic human tissue architecture—offers an exciting new avenue for studying filarial development, tissue tropism, and host–parasite interactions in a physiologically relevant context. We particularly welcome studies employing organoid technology to explore novel aspects of filarial biology or to complement in vivo approaches.

We invite original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications from a wide range of disciplines—including parasitology, immunology, molecular biology, epidemiology, tropical medicine, and drug development—that contribute to a more comprehensive and integrated understanding of filarial infections. By synthesising findings from both human studies and experimental models, this Special Issue will support global efforts toward the control, elimination, and eventual eradication of filarial diseases.

Dr. Manuel Ritter
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.

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Keywords

  • filarial infections
  • epidemiology
  • immunology
  • host–parasite interactions
  • pathogenesis
  • murine filarial models

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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