Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.6
3.6
Journals
Diagnostics
Special Issues
One Health Approach to Diagnose and Treat Fungal/Bacterial Infections
share announcement

One Health Approach to Diagnose and Treat Fungal/Bacterial Infections

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024 | Viewed by 3554

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Nidhi Singla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Government Medical College Hospital, Sector 32-B, Chandigarh, India
Interests: fungal infections; aspergillosis; mucormycosis; phaeohyphomycosis
Prof. Dr. Alessandro Russo

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Infectious and Tropical Disease Unit, “Magna Graecia” University of Catanzaro, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Interests: infection; MDR pathogens; bacteria; fungal infection; aepsis; antimicrobials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Godfred A. Menezes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology (MMI), RAK College of Medical Sciences (RAKCOMS), RAK Medical & Health Sciences University (RAKMHSU), Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
Interests: antimicrobial resistance; diagnostic microbiology; immunology and antimicrobial agents
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pratibha Kale

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Clinical Microbiology, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi 110070, India
Interests: fungal diagnostics; aspergillosis; antifungal stewardship; post transplant infections
Dr. Vinaykumar Hallur

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar 751019, India
Interests: clinical mycology; antifungal resistance; fungal diagnostics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bacterial and fungal infections are a significant health concern globally, affecting both humans and animals. The concept of "One Health" recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health and emphasizes collaborative efforts across disciplines to address health challenges comprehensively.

Many bacterial infections can be transmitted between humans and animals, through contaminated food, water, or direct contact with infected animals. Bacterial infections are a major driver of antimicrobial resistance, which poses a significant threat to public health. Antibiotics used in both human medicine and agriculture contribute to the development of resistant bacteria. Some bacterial pathogens can persist in the environment, complicating infection control practices. One Health approaches to combat AMR involve promoting responsible use of antibiotics in both human healthcare and veterinary medicine, as well as implementing infection prevention and control measures, which also involves improving water sanitation and implementing surveillance and control measures in both human-built and natural environments.

The World Health Organization has released its first-ever fungal pathogen priority list (WHO FPPL) to prioritize fungal pathogens systematically. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC, Atlanta) recommends ‘Think Fungus’, as fungal infections are silent killers, ahead of even tropical infections, leading to the death of about 1.7 million patients per year globally. Invasive fungal infections are increasing, and resistance to the most popular group of antifungals—azoles—has started to emerge. Candidemia, invasive aspergillosis, and mucor mycosis have been increasingly reported worldwide, along with the increasing prevalence of fusariosis, phaeohyphomycosis, and trichosporonosis. Drug resistance is being increasingly reported, whether it is Aspergillus strains or Dermatophytic isolates.

Climate change can influence the distribution and prevalence of bacterial and fungal infections by altering environmental conditions such as temperature and precipitation patterns. One Health approaches to addressing climate-related impacts on these infections may involve monitoring changes in disease patterns, implementing adaptive strategies for disease control, and promoting sustainable environmental practices.

Potential areas to contribute toward this Special Issue could include:

    Newer techniques for identifying bacteria/fungi;

    Emerging bacterial/fungal infections;

    Bacterial/fungal pathogenesis;

    Identifying biomarkers: existing or new;

    Antifungal susceptibility testing and antifungal drug resistance;

    Newer antimicrobial agents and their spectrum;

    New approach to disease mechanisms;

    Molecular diagnosis of bacteria/fungi;

    Co-infections/superinfections: bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens;

    Environmental bacteria/fungi and their impact on human health;

    Epidemiological typing in relation to fungal isolates such as Candida auris;

    Climate change and the impact on bacterial/fungal infections.

Authors are encouraged to contribute their work related to the latest technologies for bacterial or fungal diagnostics or cutting-edge therapeutic decisions taken.

Dr. Nidhi Singla
Prof. Dr. Alessandro Russo
Dr. Godfred A. Menezes
Dr. Pratibha Kale
Dr. Vinaykumar Hallur
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. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2600 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.

Keywords

  • bacterial infection
  • fungal infections
  • pathogenesis of fungi
  • molecular diagnosis
  • treatment of fungal infections
  • MALDI TOF
  • fungal biomarkers
  • antifungal susceptibility testing
  • drug resistance in fungi

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 1128 KiB  
Article
Clinical and Microbiologic Analysis of Klebsiella pneumoniae Infection: Hypermucoviscosity, Virulence Factor, Genotype, and Antimicrobial Susceptibility
by Miri Hyun, Ji Yeon Lee and Hyun Ah Kim
Diagnostics 2024, 14(8), 792; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics14080792 - 10 Apr 2024
Viewed by 438
Abstract
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) is defined according to hypermucoviscosity or various virulence factors and is clinically associated with community-acquired liver abscess (CLA). In this study, we investigated the clinical and microbiological characteristics of KP and significant factors associated with hypervirulence. The clinical characteristics, [...] Read more.
Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) is defined according to hypermucoviscosity or various virulence factors and is clinically associated with community-acquired liver abscess (CLA). In this study, we investigated the clinical and microbiological characteristics of KP and significant factors associated with hypervirulence. The clinical characteristics, antimicrobial susceptibility, hypermucoviscosity, serotypes, hypervirulence-related genes, and biofilm formation of 414 KP isolates collected from the Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital between December 2013 and November 2015 were analyzed according to CLA. Significant risk factors for hypervirulent KP (HvKP) associated with CLA were investigated using logistic regression analysis. Notably, 155 (37.4%) isolates were hypermucoviscous, and 170 (41.1%) harbored aerobactin. CLA was present in 34 cases (8.2%). Epidemiology and treatment outcomes did not differ significantly between the CLA and non-CLA groups. The CLA group had significantly higher antibiotic susceptibility, K1/K2, rmpA, magA, allS, kfu, iutA, string test-positive result, and biofilm mass. Multivariate logistic regression revealed rmpA (OR, 5.67; 95% CI, 2.09–15.33; p = 0.001), magA (OR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.01–5.40; p = 0.047), and biofilm mass >0.80 (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.00–4.56; p = 0.050) as significant risk factors for CLA. rmpA was identified as the most significant risk factor for CLA among KP strains, implying that it is an important factor associated with HvKP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue One Health Approach to Diagnose and Treat Fungal/Bacterial Infections)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

26 pages, 312 KiB  
Article
Preanalytical, Analytical and Postanalytical Analyses on Corynebacterium spp. and Actinomycetaceae in Urine Samples of Patients with Suspected Urinary Tract Infection—A Hypothesis-Forming Observational Study
by Hagen Frickmann, Kerstin Schwinge, Andreas Podbielski and Philipp Warnke
Diagnostics 2024, 14(7), 746; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics14070746 - 30 Mar 2024
Viewed by 512
Abstract
A hypothesis-forming exploratory cross-sectional assessment was conducted to assess the occurrence and relevance of Gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria like Corynebacterium spp. and Actinomycetaceae in human urine samples. In total, 1170 urine samples from 1031 inpatients with suspected urinary tract infection were assessed for culture-based [...] Read more.
A hypothesis-forming exploratory cross-sectional assessment was conducted to assess the occurrence and relevance of Gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria like Corynebacterium spp. and Actinomycetaceae in human urine samples. In total, 1170 urine samples from 1031 inpatients with suspected urinary tract infection were assessed for culture-based growth of Gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria applying API Coryne assays, matrix-assisted laser desorption–ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), and in-house 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Overall, 502 different bacterial colonies from 346 urine samples taken from 324 inpatients were observed. The three quantitatively most abundant genera or genus clusters were Corynebacterium (254 isolates, 62%), Actinomyces/Winkia (79 isolates, 19%), and Actinotignum/Actinobaculum (29 isolates, 7%). Compared to sequencing, the diagnostic accuracy of all assessed competitor assays from the diagnostic routine was <80% for differentiation on the genus level and <30% for differentiation on the species level. Prolongated incubation for 4 days compared to 2 days resulted in additional detection of 15% of the totally recorded Gram-positive rod-shaped bacteria. An approximately 5-fold increased detection rate in mid-stream urine compared to urine acquired applying alternative sampling strategies was observed. In conclusion, in the rare event of the suspected clinical relevance of such findings, confirmatory testing with invasively sampled urine should be considered due to the high contamination rate observed in mid-stream urine. Confirmatory testing by DNA-sequencing methods should be considered if an exact identification of genus or species is regarded as relevant for the individual choice of the therapeutic strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue One Health Approach to Diagnose and Treat Fungal/Bacterial Infections)

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 302 KiB  
Review
Nucleic-Acid-Based Molecular Fungal Diagnostics: A Way to a Better Future
by Rajendra Gudisa, Ritika Harchand and Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy
Diagnostics 2024, 14(5), 520; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics14050520 - 29 Feb 2024
Viewed by 751
Abstract
The world has seen a tremendous increase in the number of fungal infections during the past two decades. Recently, the World Health Organisation released the pathogen priority list for fungal infections, signifying the importance of these infections in the fields of research and [...] Read more.
The world has seen a tremendous increase in the number of fungal infections during the past two decades. Recently, the World Health Organisation released the pathogen priority list for fungal infections, signifying the importance of these infections in the fields of research and public health. Microbiology laboratories demand an upgrade in the diagnostic system to keep up with the increased burden of these infections. Diagnosis of fungal infections using conventional techniques has always faced limitations in terms of specificity, sensitivity, and turnaround time. Although these methods are the core pillars of the diagnosis, there is an increased need for molecular approaches. Molecular techniques have revolutionised the field of fungal diagnostics. The diverse array of molecular techniques, including techniques like Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), have emerged as a cornerstone in fungal diagnostics. Molecular techniques have transformed fungal diagnostics, providing powerful tools for the rapid and accurate identification of pathogens. As these technologies continue to evolve, their integration into routine clinical practice holds the promise of improving patient outcomes through timely and targeted antifungal interventions. This review will cover the molecular approaches involved in fungal diagnostics, moving from the basic techniques to the advanced-level nucleic-acid-based molecular approaches providing a high throughput and decreased turnaround time for the diagnosis of serious fungal infections. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue One Health Approach to Diagnose and Treat Fungal/Bacterial Infections)
12 pages, 718 KiB  
Review
From Spores to Solutions: A Comprehensive Narrative Review on Mucormycosis
by Sara Palma Gullì, Vinaykumar Hallur, Pratibha Kale, Godfred Antony Menezes, Alessandro Russo and Nidhi Singla
Diagnostics 2024, 14(3), 314; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/diagnostics14030314 - 31 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1446
Abstract
Mucormycosis is an infrequent but fatal illness that mainly affects patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, diabetic ketoacidosis, solid and hematologic neoplasms, organ transplantation, chronic steroid intake, prolonged neutropenia, iron overload states, neonatal prematurity, severe malnutrition, and HIV. Many cases were reported across the [...] Read more.
Mucormycosis is an infrequent but fatal illness that mainly affects patients with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, diabetic ketoacidosis, solid and hematologic neoplasms, organ transplantation, chronic steroid intake, prolonged neutropenia, iron overload states, neonatal prematurity, severe malnutrition, and HIV. Many cases were reported across the world recently following the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent research has led to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease, and global guidelines are now available for managing this serious infection. Herein, we comprehensively review the etiological agents, pathogenesis, clinical presentations, diagnosis, and management of mucormycosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue One Health Approach to Diagnose and Treat Fungal/Bacterial Infections)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop