The Epidemiology, Clinical Aspects, Treatment and Preventive Strategies for Infectious Diseases in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Antimicrobial Agents and Resistance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 122

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
2. County Clinical Emergency Hospital, Sibiu, Romania
Interests: COVID-19; sepsis; clostridioides difficile; respiratory tract infections; bacterial infections; viral infections; arboviral disease; hospital aquired infections; bone and joint infection; surgical site infections
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing global health issues of our time, particularly in the context of bacterial and fungal infections. The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant bacteria and emerging antifungal resistance challenge current diagnostic algorithms, therapeutic strategies, and infection control protocols in both community and healthcare settings.

By 2050, it is projected that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will have caused an estimated 1.91 million deaths directly attributable to resistant infections, with there being a total of 8.22 million deaths in which AMR played a role. This projected toll highlights the immediate need for intensified efforts to understand, monitor, and combat resistant pathogens.

The clinical burden of drug-resistant infections continues to rise, with pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniaeAcinetobacter baumanniiPseudomonas aeruginosaStaphylococcus aureus, and Candida species showing alarming levels of resistance to frontline treatments. The convergence of microbial adaptation, antibiotic misuse, and gaps in surveillance has created a complex epidemiological landscape that requires urgent interdisciplinary attention.

This Special Issue, entitled “The Epidemiology, Clinical Aspects, Treatment and Preventive Strategies for Infectious Diseases in the Era of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)”, seeks to gather high-quality contributions that explore the biological, clinical, and public health dimensions of AMR in bacterial and fungal pathogens.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Local, regional, and global epidemiology of multidrug-resistant bacterial and fungal infections;
  • Mechanisms of resistance in Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal pathogens;
  • Clinical outcomes and management of infections caused by resistant organisms;
  • Rapid microbiological diagnostics and antimicrobial susceptibility testing;
  • Development of new antimicrobial agents and combination therapies;
  • Stewardship programs targeting high-risk settings and vulnerable populations;
  • Nosocomial outbreaks and infection prevention strategies;
  • Resistance surveillance in humans;
  • Biofilm-associated resistance in chronic infections;
  • Translational research on host–pathogen interactions in resistant infections.

This Special Issue aims to contribute to a more informed and coordinated global response to AMR by bridging clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, and public health. By fostering collaboration across disciplines, we hope to drive innovation in treatment and prevention, ultimately improving patient outcomes and the sustainability of antimicrobials.

We look forward to your valuable contributions.

Prof. Dr. Victoria Birlutiu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
  • multidrug-resistant bacteria
  • antifungal resistance
  • infectious disease epidemiology
  • clinical microbiology
  • rapid diagnostics
  • biofilm-related infections
  • antimicrobial stewardship
  • infection prevention
  • resistance surveillance

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

16 pages, 599 KB  
Review
An Overview of the Epidemiology of Multidrug Resistance and Bacterial Resistance Mechanisms: What Solutions Are Available? A Comprehensive Review
by Victoria Birlutiu and Rares-Mircea Birlutiu
Microorganisms 2025, 13(9), 2194; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13092194 - 19 Sep 2025
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as one of the most critical public health challenges of the 21st century, threatening to undermine the foundations of modern medicine. In 2019, bacterial infections accounted for 13.6% of all global deaths, with more than 7.7 million fatalities directly [...] Read more.
Antimicrobial resistance has emerged as one of the most critical public health challenges of the 21st century, threatening to undermine the foundations of modern medicine. In 2019, bacterial infections accounted for 13.6% of all global deaths, with more than 7.7 million fatalities directly attributable to 33 bacterial pathogens, most prominently Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Resistance mechanisms are multifactorial, encompassing enzymatic degradation, target modification, efflux pump overexpression, reduced membrane permeability, and biofilm formation, often in combination, leading to multidrug-resistant, extensively drug-resistant, and pandrug-resistant phenotypes. Alarmingly, projections estimate that by 2050 AMR could result in over 10 million deaths annually. This comprehensive review synthesizes global epidemiological data, insights into bacterial resistance mechanisms, and emerging therapeutic solutions, including novel antibiotics such as lasso peptides and macrocyclic peptides (e.g., zosurabalpin), naturally derived compounds (e.g., corallopyronin, clovibactin, chlorotonil A), and targeted inhibitors (e.g., Debio 1453 for Neisseria gonorrhoeae). Addressing the AMR crisis requires coordinated international efforts, accelerated drug discovery, and the integration of innovative non-antibiotic approaches to preserve the efficacy of existing therapies and ensure preparedness against future bacterial threats. Full article
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