Colonization and Virulence of Opportunistic Pathogens

Dear Colleagues,

Opportunistic pathogens encompass bacteria, fungi, viruses or parasites that are usually harmless residents, and some may be beneficial to their host. However, microbes colonizing body systems may cause infections due to a forced location change by external factors or an impairment in the host’s defense system. This may increase the possibility of these microbes adapting to the new environment and expressing specific virulence characteristics which aid in initiating infections. However, the role of the local microbiome and the abiotic environmental factors, in addition to the capability of these opportunistic pathogens to adapt and cause damage, is a topic worthy of investigation in hosts including humans, animals and plants. Furthermore, new detection methods and the development of targeted therapies against these virulence factors are topics within the scope of this Special Issue.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions in the form of original research or review papers that will shed light on this important topic of host–pathogen relationships.

Dr. Taghrid Istivan
Guest Editor

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• virulence factors
• microbial colonization
• host microbiome
• secreted and cell-bound toxins
• abiotic environment in the host
• cellular targets for infection