Anaerobic Bacteria and Their Resistance Mechanisms

Strict anaerobic bacteria are important constitutents of the normal human microbiota and they have been implicated in a wide range of infectious processes, that may be serious or life-threatening. The isolation and correct identification of these bacteria may still be challenging in many settings worldwide, due to their laborious culture, extensive laboratory requirements (suitable anaerobiosis) and the fastidious nature of these microorganisms. Susceptibility testing for anerobic bacteria is seldom performed (mainly by national reference laboratories) and there is limited information available on their resistance trends, compared to other bacterial genera; susceptibility testing for anaerobic bacteria is also hindered by the lack of uniform standard operating procedures, while reliable testing methods (i.e., agar diffusion) are expensive and labor-intensive. For many years, the treatment choice in these infections has been mostly empirical, as resistance levels in anaerobes were previously thought to be predictable. Antibiotic resistance in anaerobes remains a neglected field of study; nevertheless, in recent decades, there has been an increasing number of reports on the emergence and molecular mechanisms of beta-lactam and metronidazole resistance in anaerobic bacteria, especially among the members of the Bacteroides/Parabacteroides genus. As these antibiotics are considered the backbone of the treatment of anaerobic infections, increasing levels of resistance may hold significant therapeutic implications for clinicians.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to enrich the existing literature regarding the emergence, testing methods, and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in strict anaerobic bacteria, therefore the submission of original articles, and review papers on these topics are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Edit Urbán
Dr. Márió Gajdács
Guest Editors

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