Ecology and Biodiversity of Protozoa in the Environment and in the Clinic

When talking about studies involving biodiversity and microbiomes, much is known about the bacteria that inhabit environmental and clinical samples. However, there is a world beyond prokaryotes that needs to be understood and included, which are eukaryotes, especially protozoa. Protozoa are unicellular organisms belonging to the Kingdom Protista. They can be found in different environments, such as fresh and salt water, soil, and even inside other organisms, such as in the intestinal tract of vertebrates and invertebrates. Some of the species in this kingdom cause diseases that are transmitted from person to person, as in the case of trichomoniasis; through insects, such as leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and malaria, or through the consumption of contaminated food or water, as is the case with toxoplasmosis, giardiasis and amoebiasis. Furthermore, several other nondisease-causing species are occurring concomitantly, which may influence the course of infections, or even possible new disease-causing agents in the future. Protozoa are recognized as organisms that promote biodiversity, alter the behavior of their hosts and can impact the environment, which makes it essential that they be included in studies on this topic.

Therefore, a special edition addressing these studies will stimulate the production of knowledge on this topic, in addition to compiling important works within the area.

Keywords: Protozoa, Ecology, microbiome, eukaryotes, host

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