Neonatal Bacterial Infections

Dear Colleagues,

The neonatal period has the highest lifetime risk of serious infections and is the most vulnerable time for survival. Neonatal infections are primarily bacterial in origin and remain a major global health challenge, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality during the first weeks of life. Despite significant advances in neonatal care and recent efforts at prevention and early diagnosis of disease, infections acquired in utero, during birth, or in the early postnatal period continue to cause severe disease, including pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis. Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., and other emerging multidrug-resistant bacteria are among the leading pathogens.

The unique vulnerability of neonates to infection is associated with the particularities of their immune system, shifting from a tolerogenic state towards a more robust and mature response, differences in tissue physiology, and exposure to complex maternal and environmental factors. Recent research has begun to uncover the distinct features of neonatal immunity and the mechanisms by which pathogens exploit them to establish infection and evade host defense. At the same time, improvements in molecular diagnostics, animal models, and omics-based approaches are opening new avenues to understand host–pathogen interactions in early life.

This Special Issue of Microorganisms aims to bring together original research manuscripts, case reports, and reviews that address the biology, pathogenesis, and immunology of neonatal bacterial infections. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: mechanisms of bacterial transmission, neonatal immune responses, models of neonatal infection, the influence of neuroimmune and microbiome interactions, and clinical perspectives on prevention, diagnostics, and treatment. By compiling these contributions, we aim to advance our understanding of neonatal bacterial infections and highlight potential strategies for prevention and therapy, with the ultimate goal of reducing the global burden of neonatal disease.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Elva Bonifácio Andrade
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

• bacterial pathogenesis
• host–pathogen interactions
• neonatal immune system
• prevention strategies
• diagnosis
• models of infection
• evasion of host immunity