Parasites live on or inside their hosts, usually causing fitness loss which can sometimes lead to outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases especially seen in wildlife. Understanding the associations between parasites and their hosts is important for both basic studies on disease evolution and the whole health of the ecosystem.
During the past decades, multiple studies have been carried out in parallel to investigate the host-parasite associations in wildlife and how they were shaped by multiple ecological and evolutionary factors. The recent development of genetic databases and novel molecular methodologies provided new insights into further studies on this classical research topic and illustrate the pattern of host-parasite associations in a higher resolution.
At the time of encounter, a parasite can successfully colonize a certain host if they are compatible with each other. The encounter frequency and compatibility between parasites and their potential hosts may be determined by genetic traits and can be shaped by multiple selective pressures during the long evolutionary process, resulting in the establishment or dissolution of host-parasite associations.
Until now, our understanding of the evolution of host-parasite associations is believed to be far from well-studied. To settle this issue, we need studies on the evolution, ecological patterns, and temporal dynamic of host-parasites associations in wildlife, as well as the selection pressure on these associations.
We call for research papers and reviews focusing on the recent advances in host-parasite associations in wildlife and their relationship with multiple ecological factors, based on molecular approaches. The main scope includes:
1. Patterns of host-parasite associations, such as prevalence, infection intensity, geographical distribution, host range, and diversity hotspots of parasites in wildlife.
2. Traits of parasites and/or hosts related to infection, such as specificity of parasites, and immune response of hosts.
3. Dynamic of host-parasite associations, in small scale and broad scale.
4. Evolutionary and ecological factors that may shape host-parasite associations.
Parasites live on or inside their hosts, usually causing fitness loss which can sometimes lead to outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases especially seen in wildlife. Understanding the associations between parasites and their hosts is important for both basic studies on disease evolution and the whole health of the ecosystem.
During the past decades, multiple studies have been carried out in parallel to investigate the host-parasite associations in wildlife and how they were shaped by multiple ecological and evolutionary factors. The recent development of genetic databases and novel molecular methodologies provided new insights into further studies on this classical research topic and illustrate the pattern of host-parasite associations in a higher resolution.
At the time of encounter, a parasite can successfully colonize a certain host if they are compatible with each other. The encounter frequency and compatibility between parasites and their potential hosts may be determined by genetic traits and can be shaped by multiple selective pressures during the long evolutionary process, resulting in the establishment or dissolution of host-parasite associations.
Until now, our understanding of the evolution of host-parasite associations is believed to be far from well-studied. To settle this issue, we need studies on the evolution, ecological patterns, and temporal dynamic of host-parasites associations in wildlife, as well as the selection pressure on these associations.
We call for research papers and reviews focusing on the recent advances in host-parasite associations in wildlife and their relationship with multiple ecological factors, based on molecular approaches. The main scope includes:
1. Patterns of host-parasite associations, such as prevalence, infection intensity, geographical distribution, host range, and diversity hotspots of parasites in wildlife.
2. Traits of parasites and/or hosts related to infection, such as specificity of parasites, and immune response of hosts.
3. Dynamic of host-parasite associations, in small scale and broad scale.
4. Evolutionary and ecological factors that may shape host-parasite associations.
