Microbiological and Clinical Aspects of Actinomyces Infections

Dear Colleagues,

Actinomyces species are anaerobic, non-spore-forming Gram-positive rods that are important saprophytic constituents of the normal microbiota of humans, with highest numbers in the oropharynx (oral mucosa, gingival crevices, periodontal pockets, tonsillar crypts and dental plaques). Actinomyces species are considered as low-grade pathogens, without possessing ’classical’ virulence factors, therefore they can only cause disease if normal mucosal barriers have been disrupted or predisposing factors are present. Actinomyces infections (actinomycoses) are considered to be rare, however, due to the slow-growing and fastidious nature of these microorganisms, many Institutions do not have the capabilities or interest for their full diagnostic workup, therefore their true prevalence may be underestimated. Additonally, diagnosis of actinomycosis may be difficult as the clinical presentation of symptoms and signs can mimic other pathologies. Although antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treating Actinomyces infections, surgical interventions as adjunctive therapy should also be considered. MALDI-TOF MS has allowed for the correct and precise identification of anaerobes in a clinically-relevant time frame, compared to conventional, biochemical methods.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to enrich the existing literature regarding this neglected pathogen, therefore manuscripts including but not limited to the following topics are welcome: vaulable case reports and novel results on the epidemiology, diagnostics, clinical features and therapy of actinomycoses, in addition to experimental findings on the virulence factors and resistace determinants of Actinomyces spp.

Prof. Dr. Edit Urbán
Dr. Márió Gajdács
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics 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 2900 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.