Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 2025

Special Issue Editor

Division of Infectious Diseases, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103, USA
Interests: mycobacterial diseases (TB and nontuberculous mycobacteria); respiratory viruses (influenza, RSV, COVID-19); pox infections; general clinical infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites have continued to scourge humans. Because of their ability to change and develop resistance to antimicrobials, infectious agents have become insurmountable challenges. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest threats to public health worldwide. Although new antimicrobials have been developed and some new ones are in the pipeline, scientists mostly play catch-up as the infectious agents continue to change. In the last few decades, the existing problem of antimicrobial resistance is further complicated by the emergence of new and deadly infectious diseases that spread to the level of causing pandemic. As we have seen in the last three years alone from COVID-19 and Mpox pandemics, the focus on the control of emerging infectious diseases diverts funding and other resources from efforts to fight antimicrobial resistance. This leads to most dreadful scenario of fighting to curtail antimicrobial resistance to the plethora of infectious diseases in the middle of pandemics from newly emerged infectious diseases. Furthermore, emerging infectious diseases, like existing infectious diseases, change themselves and make available specific antimicrobials less effective. Therefore, this special issue will highlight past and current trends in antimicrobial resistant infectious diseases, prospects in developing new antimicrobials, application of new antimicrobials in the clinical practice, and possible future challenges.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Microorganisms.

Dr. Getahun Abate
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • antimicrobial
  • resistance
  • infectious diseases
  • new antimicrobials
  • pandemic

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 9881 KiB  
Article
Genome Analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae Reveals International High-Risk Pandemic MDR Clones Emerging in Tertiary Healthcare Settings in Uganda
by Denis K. Byarugaba, Bernard Erima, Godfrey Wokorach, Stephen Alafi, Hannah Kibuuka, Edison Mworozi, Florence Najjuka, James Kiyengo, Ambrose K. Musinguzi and Fred Wabwire-Mangen
Pathogens 2023, 12(11), 1334; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12111334 - 09 Nov 2023
Viewed by 966
Abstract
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a threat to public health due to its continued evolution. In this study, we investigated the evolution, convergence, and transmission of hypervirulent and multi-drug resistant (MDR) clones of K. pneumoniae within healthcare facilities in Uganda. There was high resistance to [...] Read more.
Klebsiella pneumoniae is a threat to public health due to its continued evolution. In this study, we investigated the evolution, convergence, and transmission of hypervirulent and multi-drug resistant (MDR) clones of K. pneumoniae within healthcare facilities in Uganda. There was high resistance to piperacillin (90.91%), cefuroxime (86.96%), ceftazidime (84.62%), cefotaxime (84.00%), amoxicillin/clavulanate (75%), nalidixic acid (73.68%), and nitrofurantoin (71.43%) antibiotics among K. pneumoniae isolates. The isolates were genetically diverse, consisting of 20 different sequence types (STs) and 34 K-serotype groups. Chromosomal fosA (for fosfomycin) and oqxAB efflux pump genes were detected in all isolates. Two carbapenem resistance genes, blaNDM-5 and blaOXA-181 plus extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (blaCTX-M-15) gene (68.12%), quinolone-resistant genes qnrS1 (28.99%), qnrB1 (13.04%), and qnrB6 (13.04%) and others were found. All, except three of the isolates, harbored plasmids. While the isolates carried a repertoire of virulence genes, only two isolates carried hypervirulent genes demonstrating a low prevalence (2.90%) of hypervirulent strains. Our study demonstrated genetically diverse populations of K. pneumoniae, low levels of carbapenem resistance among the isolates, and no convergence of MDR and hypervirulence. Emerging high-risk international pandemic clones (ST11, ST14, ST147, ST 86 and ST307) were detected in these healthcare settings which are difficult to treat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance)
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7 pages, 1125 KiB  
Communication
First Report of Plasmid-Mediated Macrolide-Clindamycin-Tetracycline Resistance in a High Virulent Isolate of Cutibacterium acnes ST115
by Md Shohel Rana, Jungmin Kim and Shukho Kim
Pathogens 2023, 12(11), 1286; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12111286 - 27 Oct 2023
Viewed by 703
Abstract
Cutibacterium acnes, a prevalent skin commensal, has emerged as a significant global challenge due to its widespread antibiotic resistance. To investigate the antibiotic resistance mechanisms and clinical characterization of C. acnes in Korea, we collected 22 clinical isolates from diverse patient specimens [...] Read more.
Cutibacterium acnes, a prevalent skin commensal, has emerged as a significant global challenge due to its widespread antibiotic resistance. To investigate the antibiotic resistance mechanisms and clinical characterization of C. acnes in Korea, we collected 22 clinical isolates from diverse patient specimens obtained from the National Culture Collection for Pathogens across Korea. Among the isolates, KB112 isolate was subjected to whole genome sequencing due to high resistance against clindamycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, doxycycline, and minocycline. The whole genome analysis of KB112 isolate revealed a circular chromosome of 2,534,481 base pair with an average G + C content of 60.2% with sequence type (ST) 115, harboring the potential virulent CAMP factor pore-forming toxin 2 (CAMP2), the multidrug resistance ABC transporter ATP-binding protein YknY, and the multidrug efflux protein YfmO. The genomic sequence also showed the existence of a plasmid (30,947 bp) containing the erm(50) and tet(W) gene, which confer resistance to macrolide–clindamycin and tetracycline, respectively. This study reports plasmid-mediated multi-drug resistance of C. acnes for the first time in Korea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Resistance)
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