Infections in Immunocompromised Patients—Advances in Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the number of immunocompromised patients has increased due to advances in medicine. There is no precise data on the global percentage of immunosuppressed people, but studies in the U.S. and England indicate that immunocompromised individuals represent 3.9% to 6.6% of the global population. Discovery and use of immunosuppressive drugs in the treatment of various malignancies and autoimmune diseases will likely increase this number even further in the future. Immunocompromised patients are a heterogeneous group at higher risk for infection due to an impaired host defence system. Such infections frequently lead to complications resulting in higher morbidity and/or mortality in immunocompromised individuals. Delays in diagnosis and in initiating adequate therapy can, in part, lead to this. Early and adequate diagnosis is a crucial step in fighting infections in immunosuppressed patients.

This Special Issue will explore the latest scientific and clinical advances in understanding, diagnosing, managing, and preventing infections in patients with compromised immune systems. Key topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Advances in diagnostic technologies (e.g., molecular diagnostics, metagenomics, and rapid testing);
• Viral, fungal, bacterial, and parasitic infections in immunocompromised individuals (e.g., transplant-related infection, cancer, and infection);
• Epidemiology of opportunistic infections;
• Antimicrobial resistance in immunocompromised populations;
• Vaccination strategies and immunogenicity in immunocompromised hosts;
• Prophylactic and pre-emptive therapies;
• Infection control in hospital and outpatient settings.

The main goal of this Special Issue is to bring together disciplines such as infectious diseases, immunology, microbiology, oncology, transplantation medicine, and public health to better understand infections in immunocompromised patients from multiple angles and improve outcomes.

Dr. Danijela Miljanovic
Guest Editor

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