A special issue from Parasitology encouraging open submissions on “Avian and reptile malarias”

Parasitology's Special Issue on Avian and Reptile Malarias is now closed to submissions.

Malaria in humans is an important parasitic disease both in the tropics and to some extent in more temperate regions of the world. Research activities of the scientific community are typically focused on only a handful of species of Plasmodium. Nonetheless, Plasmodium has a much broader distribution and infection potentials. Dating back to earlier studies of PCC Garnham, there are many other species of parasite that can cause infection and disease, particularly in birds and reptiles. Indeed, many species of birds are vulnerable to avian malarias as caused by species within the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Infections are known in both wildlife and in conservation management settings. These can cause very real acute and chronic economic loses, indicating the need for control methods. In consideration of reptile malarias, there are over 90 species and subspecies of Plasmodium infecting just over 3,000 species of lizard but, interesting, only a small fraction of snake species is vulnerable. 
 
This special issue on “Avian and reptile malarias” hopes to bring together the latest research data to provide new insights into the omics, cell biology, ecology, development, speciation, diversity, evolution and control, of these blood borne parasites in non-mammal hosts. Studies aligned with vector biology of mosquitoes are also welcomed as we wish to advance a broader understanding of these fascinating parasites outside their traditional medical scrutiny.
 
If you wish to submit an article, please e-mail John Ellis, Parasitology Deputy & Special Issues Editor (john.ellis@uts.edu.au) with a letter of intent, provisional article title and short abstract to help him gauge suitably for this new initiative of Parasitology. These open articles will be combined with commissioned articles from world leading scientists to develop this topic. The deadline for submissions is 1st July 2023.

From the 3rd October 2022, Parasitology has moved to a Gold Open Access publishing model. All articles submitted to the journal from this date will be published, if accepted, with a non-exclusive Gold Open Access CC-BY licence (see here for more detail), and will be subject to an Article Processing Charge. Many corresponding authors will have their APC covered by a transformative agreement; check here to see if your institution is covered.