Genetics and Antimicrobial Resistance in Pathogens of Hospital Importance

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetic and Biochemical Studies of Antibiotic Activity and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 683

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu, SP, Brazil
Interests: Staphylococcus aureus; coagulase-negative staphylococci; antibiotic resistance; virulence factors; biofilm; molecular epidemiology
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Special Issue Information

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

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Keywords

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

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 8288 KiB  
Article
Molecular Characterization of Gram-Negative Bacilli Isolated from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Phenotypic and Molecular Detection of ESBL and Carbapenemase
by Thaís Alves Barbosa, Maria Regina Bentlin, Lígia Maria Suppo de Souza Rugolo, João César Lyra, Adriano Martison Ferreira, Ana Cláudia Moro Lima dos Santos, Nathalia Bibiana Teixeira, Letícia Calixto Medeiros Romero, Carlos Magno Castelo Branco Fortaleza and Maria de Lourdes Ribeiro de Souza da Cunha
Antibiotics 2025, 14(4), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14040342 - 27 Mar 2025
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Abstract
Introduction: The increase in the rates of multidrug-resistant bacteria in healthcare environments has been recognized as a global public health problem. In view of the scarcity of data on the neonatal population, this study aimed to provide information on the genotypic and epidemiological [...] Read more.
Introduction: The increase in the rates of multidrug-resistant bacteria in healthcare environments has been recognized as a global public health problem. In view of the scarcity of data on the neonatal population, this study aimed to provide information on the genotypic and epidemiological characteristics of Gram-negative microorganisms isolated from colonization and infection sites in neonates admitted to a tertiary university center of high complexity. Methods: Enterobacterales and non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli previously collected in a prospective cohort study were submitted to genotypic identification, detection of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL), carbapenemases and biofilm production, detection of specific virulence markers in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Results: The data found here revealed higher rates of infection by Klebsiella spp. and Serratia marcescens that caused bloodstream infection and pneumonia, respectively. In this study, high biofilm production was observed, with 95.0% of Enterobacterales and 100% of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli being producers. Most of the P. aeruginosa isolates carried pathogenicity factors such as alginate, hemolytic phospholipase C, exotoxin A, and rhamnolipids. The phenotypic analysis of ESBL revealed that 16 (5.3%) isolates produced these enzymes. Four of these isolates (66.7%) carried the CTX-M-9 gene, three (50%) carried the TEM gene, and one (16.7%) was positive for the SHV and CMY-2 genes. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for colonization and infection by Gram-negative microorganisms. The results of multivariate analysis revealed that biofilm production by these microorganisms was associated with the persistence of colonization by the same pathogen in the newborn and increased by 75% the daily probability of the newborn developing infection. The production of ESBL also increased the daily probability of infection by 46.8 times. Conclusions: Enterobacterales showed average biofilm production, while the majority of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli were strong producers. The present data increase our knowledge of the molecular epidemiology of important Enterobacterales species, with emphasis on ESBL-producing Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella pneumoniae with emerging epidemiological potential in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary university hospital. Furthermore, the results highlight the need for the monitoring and implementation of control measures and for restricting the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Full article
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