Frontiers in Parasitology

Parasites are one of the most prevalent groups of organisms on the planet. Every multicellular free-living animal plays host to an ecto- or endo-parasite of some sort, and indeed most hosts are polyparasitised. The sheer diversity of parasitic organisms, the inhospitable niches they occupy, and the strategies they have developed to hijack various host physiological processes are nothing short of awe-inspiring. We have known for millennia that these parasites cause all manner of pathologies and diseases, and exact a devastating toll on humans, animals, and plants. Only recently, however, have we discovered that the coevolution of host and parasite is so intimate and exquisite that some parasites unwittingly confer a health benefit to the infected host. Frontiers in Parasitology is a new peer-reviewed and open-access journal devoted to all aspects of parasitology and parasitism and ensures that the most exciting, novel, and cutting-edge research in the field is widely disseminated through rigorously peer-reviewed forum. We welcome papers on socially and economically important parasites and host-parasite relationships that impact humans, animals, and plants. In particular, we encourage the submission of papers dealing with the five broad specialty areas that we have launched, notably (i) epidemiology and ecology, (ii) molecular and cellular parasitology, (iii) therapeutics and diagnostics, (iv) immunity and immune evasion, and (v) parasitology omics. As the journal matures, we will include additional specialty areas to ensure that all the various disciplines that are relevant to parasitology and parasitologists are represented. Parasitology is arguably more relevant today than ever, hence the need for an open-access journal that covers all areas of the discipline yet retains high ethical and academic standards. Sadly, many of the most economically and socially important parasites 100 years ago still cause untold devastation today. Indeed, global warming presents a new threat to the planet by directly impacting the distribution of some parasites and their definitive and intermediate hosts, as well as their vectors.