Infection and Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotic Therapy in Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2025) | Viewed by 434

Special Issue Editors

Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Interests: antibiotic resistance; alternative therapeutics; host-microbe interaction

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Guest Editor
Department of Spine Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
Interests: antibacterial materials/surfaces; tissue regeneration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global challenge posed by bacterial infections, often accompanied by intricate antibiotic resistance patterns, significantly impacts human health. Antibiotics, while effective, wield a double-edged sword: they eliminate germs but simultaneously exert selective pressure on bacteria to evolve resistance.

Bacterial infections caused by multi-resistant pathogens (ESKAPE), including Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp., have emerged as a major global health crisis during the past few decades.

Furthermore, antibiotic use disrupts the gut microbiota, fostering a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes and organisms, along with complications like antibiotic-associated diarrhea and superinfections. In contrast, pathogen-specific alternatives offer distinct advantages over antibiotics. Firstly, they allow bacterial growth within the host without imposing selection pressure or resistance. Secondly, these alternatives specifically target particular bacteria, leaving the host’s regular flora unaffected.

This Special Issue aims to compile novel research on alternative therapies combating bacterial infections. We seek studies on novel antimicrobials and innovative antibiotic alternatives, either used independently or in conjunction with traditional antibiotics. The precise characterizations of antimicrobial agents effective against multidrug-resistant infections are of particular interest. Additionally, we invite contributions in the form of review articles or concise reflections on these critical topics.

We eagerly await your submissions.

Dr. Peng Gao
Dr. Jie Shen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • antibiotics
  • alternatives
  • anti-virulence
  • antibiotic adjuvant
  • pathogen-specific agent
  • vaccine
  • bacteriophage
  • microbiome modulator
  • anti-biofilm
  • lysin
  • materials
  • nanoparticles

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 2616 KiB  
Article
Determination of Colistin Resistance in Clinical Isolates from Healthcare Facilities in Mthatha and Surrounding Areas
by Silindokuhle Ndlela, Ravesh Singh and Sandeep Vasaikar
Antibiotics 2025, 14(5), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14050505 - 14 May 2025
Abstract
Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat in the public healthcare sector. The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) has become a serious public health threat in South Africa. The spread of CRE has led to the use of colistin for treating [...] Read more.
Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat in the public healthcare sector. The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) has become a serious public health threat in South Africa. The spread of CRE has led to the use of colistin for treating severe infections. Colistin is a cationic, lipopeptide antibacterial agent that is effective against most Gram-negative bacteria through its disruption of the bacterial cell membrane. This study aims to determine the colistin resistance (MIC) and mobile colistin resistance (mcr-1) gene in clinical isolates from healthcare facilities in Mthatha and its surrounding areas. Methods: Fifty-three CRE isolates were collected from health facilities between January 2019 and June 2021 and stored in skim milk 10% and 5% inositol broth. The carbapenemase confirmatory test involved a RESIST-4 O.K.N.V assay (Coris BioConcept, Gembloux, Belgium), which was conducted following manufacturer protocol. Broth microdilution was performed according to the ISO standard method (20776-1) using A ComAspTM colistin 0.25–16 μg/mL MIC Broth. Conventional polymerase reaction (PCR) was performed for the detection of mcr-1. Results: N = 53 (100%) isolates were used. A total of 53% were defined as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli constituted 8%, Enterobacter cloacae 8%, Serratia marcescens 8%, Serratia fonticola 2%, Enterobacter aerogenes 2%, Klebsiella oxytoca 2%, Citrobacter koseri 2%, and Citrobacter freundii 2%. The specimens were from the following wards: Pediatric and Neonatal 38%, Medical 30%, Gynecology, Labour, and Maternity 11%, OPD and A&E 11%, ENT 4%, and Others—Male TB ward, Trauma, and adult ICU 6%. In total, 13% of the isolates were resistant and 86% were sensitive to colistin. The common CRE genes detected were OXA-48 at 47%, NDM at 13%, VIM at 1%, and a combination of OXA-48 and NDM at 5%. Of the isolates, 66% were positive for the production of carbapenamase. In this study, we found that all N = 53 (100%) isolates did not have the mobile colistin resistance gene (mcr-1). Conclusions: Antimicrobial resistance is associated with the emergence of carbapenemases genes. Increasing resistance to colistin in clinical settings can lead to difficulties in treating CRE infections, which may lead to clinical failure. In our study, 13% of isolates were phenotypically resistant to colistin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infection and Treatment of Antibiotic-Resistant ESKAPE Pathogens)
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