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Microorganisms
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Women’s Special Issue Series: Microorganisms
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Women’s Special Issue Series: Microorganisms

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (8 March 2026) | Viewed by 9933

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Antonella d'Arminio Monforte

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Icona Foundation, 20142 Milan, Italy
2. Clinic of Infectious Diseases, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20142 Milan, Italy
Interests: liver diseases; HIV infection; HIV prevention; tuberculosis; clinical infectious diseases; infectious disease epidemiology; mycobacterium tuberculosis; viral infection; immunology of infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonella Cingolani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
2. Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
Interests: HIV; lymphomas; virology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is part of Microorganisms' Women’s Special Issue Series, hosted by female editors for female researchers. This Series advocates the advancement of women in science. We invite contributions to the Special Issue, whose lead authors identify as women. The goal of this Special Issue is to cover subject areas including, but not limited to, microbial physiology, microbial ecology,  microbial genetics, evolutionary microbiology, systems microbiology, medical microbiology, pharmaceutical microbiology, industrial microbiology, agricultural microbiology, microbial biotechnology, food microbiology, and environmental microbiology.

The submission of articles with all-women authorship is especially encouraged. However, we do welcome articles from all authors, irrespective of gender.

Prof. Dr. Antonella d'Arminio Monforte
Dr. Antonella Cingolani
Guest Editors

Women’s Special Issue Series

This Special Issue is part of Sensors's Women’s Special Issue Series, hosted by women editors for women researchers. The Series advocates the advancement of women in science. We invite contributions to the Special Issue whose lead authors identify as women. The submission of articles with all-women authorship is especially encouraged. However, we do welcome articles from all authors, irrespective of gender.

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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms 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 2700 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

  • women
  • microorganisms
  • microbiology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 227 KB  
Article
The Prevalence of Perineal Tears Among Women Having Spontaneous Vaginal Births with Intrapartum Fever
by Manal Massalha, Eyal Rom, Ayelet Gertner Bonfis, Haya Khalilieh Suleiman, Marwa Diab, Enav Yefet and Zohar Nachum
Microorganisms 2025, 13(12), 2815; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13122815 - 10 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1222
Abstract
Perineal tears are common during vaginal delivery and are associated with significant maternal morbidity. While chorioamnionitis and intrapartum fever are known to affect labor dynamics and perineal tissue integrity, their relationship with perineal trauma in spontaneous vaginal deliveries has not been established. This [...] Read more.
Perineal tears are common during vaginal delivery and are associated with significant maternal morbidity. While chorioamnionitis and intrapartum fever are known to affect labor dynamics and perineal tissue integrity, their relationship with perineal trauma in spontaneous vaginal deliveries has not been established. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of perineal tears among women with intrapartum fever who delivered spontaneously. This retrospective cohort study included women who underwent spontaneous vaginal delivery during 2013–2021 in Israel. The study group comprised women diagnosed with intrapartum fever (≥38 °C), while afebrile women served as controls in a 1:2 ratio matched by age (<35 or ≥35 years) and gestational age (preterm/term). Perineal tears were classified according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) criteria. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to adjust for statistically significant variables including obesity, induction of labor, epidural analgesia, amniotomy, delivery week, gestational diabetes, birth number, duration of the second stage of labor, and episiotomy. The cohort included 373 women with intrapartum fever and 746 controls. The overall rate of perineal tears was similar between febrile and afebrile women (42% vs. 40%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72–1.36). However, the rate of obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS) was lower among women with intrapartum fever (0.5% vs. 2.0%; aOR 0.10, 95% CI 0.02–0.52). Intrapartum fever was associated with higher rates of postpartum hemorrhage, manual exploration of the uterus, endometritis, anemia, and blood transfusion. Bacterial cultures were positive in 31% of febrile women, predominantly Escherichia coli and Group B Streptococcus, without association with perineal trauma. Alltogether, Intrapartum fever did not increase the risk of perineal tears in spontaneous vaginal deliveries and was paradoxically associated with a lower rate of OASIS. Further studies are warranted to explore the underlying physiological mechanisms linking temperature and perineal tissue resilience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Microorganisms)

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 1027 KB  
Review
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections in Children: A Clinical Overview of Diagnosis and Management
by Alessandra Li Pomi, Antonella Gambadauro, Francesca Galletta, Giuseppe Fabio Parisi, Salvatore Leonardi, Pietro Sciacca, Milena La Spina and Sara Manti
Microorganisms 2026, 14(1), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010130 - 7 Jan 2026
Viewed by 977
Abstract
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), often referred to as environmental or atypical mycobacteria, are opportunistic pathogens phylogenetically as well as clinically distinct from both the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Mycobacterium leprae. In the pediatric age group, NTM disease manifests with a diverse range of [...] Read more.
Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), often referred to as environmental or atypical mycobacteria, are opportunistic pathogens phylogenetically as well as clinically distinct from both the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and Mycobacterium leprae. In the pediatric age group, NTM disease manifests with a diverse range of clinical phenotypes. Cervicofacial lymphadenitis stands out as the most common presentation among children who are immunocompetent. Conversely, skin and soft tissue infections, pulmonary disease and disseminated infections constitute less prevalent, yet clinically important, disease forms. Accurate identification is paramount, as differentiating NTM infections from tuberculosis (TB) remains challenging based solely on clinical symptoms, initial laboratory analyses, or standard radiological findings. This distinction is critical because treatment protocols for NTM infections differ substantially from those for tuberculosis. This narrative review offers a comprehensive and up-to-date summary of NTM infections in children. It examines the spectrum of clinical presentations and their prevalence, addresses the complexities of diagnosis and therapy, and underscores the importance of differential diagnosis against tuberculosis. Furthermore, we explore current diagnostic strategies, available therapeutic options, and the link between specific clinical syndromes and tailored management, pointing out existing knowledge gaps and suggesting priorities for future research. The absence of rapid, species-specific diagnostic tools often results in delayed initiation of targeted treatment, while overlapping clinical features with TB can lead to misdiagnosis. Therapeutic management is complicated by the necessity for prolonged drug courses, frequent occurrences of drug intolerance, limited availability of child-appropriate formulations, and the rising tide of antimicrobial resistance. Successfully tackling these issues demands enhanced surveillance, precise species-level identification, the creation of child-friendly drug formats, and the development of evidence-based treatment guidelines specifically designed for the pediatric population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Microorganisms)
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24 pages, 2698 KB  
Review
Can Vaginal Seeding at Birth Improve Health Outcomes of Cesarean Section-Delivered Infants? A Scoping Review
by Phoebe LaPoint, Keona Banks, Mickayla Bacorn, Ruhika Prasad, Hector N. Romero-Soto, Sivaranjani Namasivayam, Qing Chen, Anal Patel, Shira Levy and Suchitra K. Hourigan
Microorganisms 2025, 13(6), 1236; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13061236 - 28 May 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 7129
Abstract
Although Cesarean section (C-section) delivery is often a necessary medical intervention, it also increases the risk of the infant developing chronic inflammatory, metabolic, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The association of C-section with the development of these conditions is thought to be partially mediated by [...] Read more.
Although Cesarean section (C-section) delivery is often a necessary medical intervention, it also increases the risk of the infant developing chronic inflammatory, metabolic, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The association of C-section with the development of these conditions is thought to be partially mediated by the effects of the C-section on the infant’s microbiome development and subsequent immune regulation. C-section-delivered infants acquire a different set of microbes compared with infants who are vaginally delivered. “Vaginal seeding” exposes C-section-delivered infants to the maternal vaginal microbiome directly after birth, partly replicating the microbial exposures they would have received during a vaginal delivery. Studies have shown that vaginal seeding at birth partially restores the infant microbiome towards that of a vaginally delivered infant. More recently, preliminary studies have shown a potential benefit of vaginal seeding on health outcomes. Here, we examine the evidence from observational studies and randomized controlled trials that have evaluated microbiome restoration after C-section, and we discuss new research assessing the potential impact of vaginal seeding on immune, metabolic, and neurodevelopmental outcomes and the underlying mechanisms. Collectively, we review the potential health benefits, safety risks, regulatory implications, and future directions for the use of vaginal seeding in infants delivered by C-section. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Women’s Special Issue Series: Microorganisms)
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