CA22108 - Wildlife Malaria Network (WIMANET)

Vector-borne diseases, and emerging infectious diseases of wildlife, are major contributors to the global disease burden and of increasing concern globally. Haemosporidian parasites are ubiquitous in nature, hugely diverse, and associated with morbidity and mortality across taxa, including humans, livestock and wildlife. Many research groups globally focus on these parasites as model systems for addressing a broad range of ecological and evolutionary questions with economic and health implications. This Action will bring together individuals and research groups to focus on coordinating research objectives to which multiple groups can contribute existing datasets, meaning that questions can be addressed at a global, rather than a local or regional, scale. Ornithologists, mammologists and herpetologists have a long history of investigating haemosporidian parasites in natural populations; these studies have provided insights into host-parasite associations, parasite geographic distributions, host-switching and the context-dependence of host-parasite relationships, alongside pathogenic impacts and conservation implications of haemosporidian infections. Increasingly, research groups are investigating the vectors of these parasites, and utilising novel genetic techniques to understand parasite gene expression, among many other examples. Coordinating and sharing research efforts between groups offers huge potential for large-scale collaborative research initiatives. This Action will promote the development of a common research agenda by providing opportunities for training, collaboration and knowledge exchange, targeting diverse researchers across disciplines to foster an interdisciplinary approach, whilst also recruiting and supporting a diversity of new researchers. The Action will target stakeholders, policymakers and the general public to endorse knowledge transfer and maximise the reach of the network.