Dear Colleagues,

Indoor environments including health care facilities, schools and occupational environments can influence the health and wellbeing of patients, hospital personnel, students and workers. Indoors-associated infections, or infections acquired in indoor settings, mostly those acquired in health care settings are the most frequent adverse event in health-care delivery worldwide.

Environmental exposure is highly associated with indoor air quality (IAQ). Bioaerosols exposure is a risk for patients, workers and people, in general, who spend multiple hours in the same poorly-ventilated environment. Airborne microorganisms are a major concern in indoor environments, being responsible for some nosocomial infections in patients and workers, along with other occupational diseases. These microbiological agents originate not only from human activities, but may also be disseminated by diverse indoor characteristics and outdoor environmental sources. For instance, improperly maintained HVAC systems may be a source of particulate matter and microorganisms, significantly contributing to microbial growth and environmental exposure. Therefore, maintaining a safe microbiological environment indoors is a serious challenge for public health and, more specifically, for occupational health.

 Aspergillus species have been found growing on air filters, insulation, cooling coils, ducts, and in protection devices. This contamination often leads to the onset of infectious, respiratory and allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, and pneumonitis. In addition, azole resistance has been emerging in isolates from Aspergillus section Fumigati in the last decades with variable prevalence reported worldwide. Some Aspergillus species can also produce mycotoxins as secondary metabolites produced in favourable conditions (pH, humidity, temperature, substrate), and respiratory exposure to these toxins has been associated with acute toxicosis and cancer.

In this Special Issue, we look forward to receive your contributions in the form of original research or review articles that will update the different perspectives of Aspergillus sp. prevalence in different indoor environments. Reports of prevention and intervention actions to address this indoor problem as a threat to public and occupational health are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Anita Q. Gomes
Prof. Dr. Carla Viegas
Dr. Liliana Aranha Caetano
Guest Editors

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. Microorganisms 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 2700 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.

• Aspergillus spp.
• Indoors
• Azole resistance
• Mycotoxins
• Aspergillosis