Genetics and Antimicrobial Resistance in Pathogens of Hospital Importance

Dear Colleagues,

The emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is becoming an increasingly serious threat to global public health, representing one of the greatest concerns of the World Health Organization (WHO). The clonal spread of resistant microorganisms between geographically distant regions has driven the increase in antibiotic resistance in recent years. Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are directly associated with the emergence of MDROs, a fact resulting from the exposure of patients to pathogenic microorganisms, the indiscriminate use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, and submission to invasive procedures. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs naturally over time through genetic mutations and exchanges, although these genetic events usually take place at low frequencies. However, the process of AMR emergence, dissemination, and persistence among bacteria has been accelerated due to the overuse or misuse of antimicrobials in the hospital settings. These resistance mechanisms have found a favorable environment in the modern hospital, a place with a high population of sensitive patients, intense pressure from the use of antibiotics that favors natural selection for resistance, and multiple opportunities for transmission. These organisms can spread through the care network, causing serious diseases and reducing therapeutic options. In this regard, The ESKAPEE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter species, and Escherichia coli) are listed as organisms of critical importance due to their MDR nature, consequently requiring the urgent development of new antibiotics. This Special Issue seeks manuscript submissions that further our understanding of basic and clinical research about genetics and antimicrobial resistance in the pathogens of hospital importance.

Prof. Dr. Maria de Lourdes R.S. Cunha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• ESKAPEE pathogens
• antimicrobial resistance
• multidrug-resistant organisms
• genetics
• resistance mechanisms