β-carbonic anhydrases (β-CAs) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes which active site contains a zinc ion (Zn²⁺), and they could catalyze the hydration of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons efficiently and are involved in many biological processes, such as respiration, pH and CO₂ homeostasis, biosynthetic reactions, virulence regulation and so on, and may play a critical role in the life activity of many organisms which contain these enzymes. β-CAs are widely distributed in fungi, bacteria, algae, plants and a small number of protozoan and metazoan except vertebrates. Therefore, as potential drug targets for designing and developing antibacterial and anti-parasitic drugs, β-CAs promise a broad application prospect. This paper focuses on the distribution, physiological function and the progress of researches on β-CAs in parasites and their vectors.