Molecular Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Trends in Gram-Negative Bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) stands as critical threat to global public health, with a significant impact on the treatment , control of bacterial infections, mortality and hospital cost. Gram-negative bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) are listed as priority pathogens by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to their rapid development of resistance and limited treatment options.

Additionally, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, particularly drug-resistant tuberculosis, remains a major concern due to the high mortality and morbidity associated with drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Also, with increasing cases and rising reports of drug-resistant NTM, understanding their epidemiology and resistance mechanisms has become a public health priority, mainly in endemic areas.

This Special Issue seeks to explore current advancements in the molecular epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with a particular emphasis on Gram-negative bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). The focus will be on understanding the mechanisms driving resistance and virulence, the transmission dynamics within different environments, and the clinical outcomes associated with these high-priority pathogens. We encourage researchers to contribute original research, comprehensive reviews, and case studies that examine the molecular mechanisms of resistance, innovative therapeutic approaches, breakthroughs in diagnostic methods, epidemiological patterns, and the broader clinical impact of AMR in these pathogens. Short and case reports are also welcome based on the relevance of data.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Molecular mechanisms of resistance and virulence in Gram-negative bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM)
• Multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), and pan drug-resistant (PDR) bacterial strains, including resistance patterns in critical and emerging pathogens
• Advances in diagnostic tools for rapid and accurate detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), including molecular techniques and next-generation sequencing
• Epidemiological trends in AMR, focusing on global health impact, regional variations, and high-risk populations
• Role of biofilm formation in resistance mechanisms and persistence of infections
• Treatment challenges in co-infections, particularly in tuberculosis and other chronic infections with drug-resistant pathogens
• The influence of healthcare settings (hospital, ICU) and community environments in the spread and control of AMR
• Antimicrobial resistance in environmental and animal strains and its implications for One Health approaches.

Dr. Karla Valéria Batista Lima
Dr. Yan Corrêa Rodrigues
Dr. Danielle Murici Brasiliense
Guest Editors

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• antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
• gram-negative bacteria
• mycobacterium tuberculosis
• nontuberculous mycobacteria
• molecular epidemiology
• drug resistance mechanisms
• virulence traits
• carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales
• drug-resistant TB