Special issues run alongside the regular journal workflow, with submissions routed to guest editors who have deep expertise in the theme. Accepted articles publish on a rolling basis, allowing new findings to appear as soon as they are ready rather than waiting for a full issue to close.

Special issue themes are announced through journal communications and reflect areas of high clinical need or rapid scientific progress. Themes are periodically updated as new evidence and public health priorities emerge. Themes may include airborne transmission, water system safety, outbreak analytics, vaccine strategy, environmental monitoring, and climate related disease risks. If you have a relevant study, the editorial office can confirm the most appropriate issue for your work.

Select a theme that aligns with your research and indicate the special issue in your cover letter at submission. Manuscripts must follow the same ethical and formatting standards as regular submissions and will undergo full peer review.

Special issue manuscripts follow the same review standards and timelines as regular submissions. The editorial team aims to provide clear decisions quickly while maintaining rigorous peer review.

Special issue submissions follow the same Article Processing Charge policy as regular manuscripts. The APC is invoiced only after acceptance and supports editorial review, production, DOI registration, and open access dissemination.

If your topic is adjacent to a special issue theme, send a brief abstract to the editorial office. We will advise whether the manuscript should be submitted to a special issue or to the regular journal track.