Opportunistic Infections in Hospital Environments: Microbial Resistance and Novel Surveillance and Diagnostic Strategies

Dear Colleagues,

Opportunistic infections occurring in hospital environments represent a critical issue for public health. Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections affecting hospitalized patients with a compromised immune system that are more vulnerable to severe infections and clinical manifestations.

HAIs may occur in different healthcare wards; however, such departments as intensive care units, long-term care facilities and medical oncology wards represent high-risk hospital environments for opportunistic infections. A fundamental aspect that has worsened the severity of opportunistic infections is linked to the intensive use of antibiotics which has led to the development of highly resistant pathogens. In this context, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging threat with important health and economic implications, especially in a clinical context. Due to AMR, an increase in the number of cases of nosocomial infections for which the most common antibiotic therapies are ineffective has been observed.

Therefore, the development of novel and effective strategies for the management and monitoring of nosocomial opportunistic infections is of fundamental importance in order to limit the clinical complications of vulnerable patients, especially during this period of health emergency where COVID-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care units may be more susceptible to the development of these nosocomial infections often responsible for fatal outcomes.

On these bases, the aim of this Special Issue is to collect both original articles and review articles describing the latest findings on diagnostic and surveillance strategies for the monitoring of nosocomial opportunistic infections as well as studies aimed at shedding light on novel emerging pathogens or AMR systems.

Dr. Mario Salmeri
Dr. Giuseppe Gattuso
Dr. Cinzia Lombardo
Dr. Maria Lina Mezzatesta
Guest Editors

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