About this Research Topic

Background

Globally, far too many children under 5 years old and pregnant/postpartum women still die every day from preventable causes. Most deaths occur in lower income countries, reflecting deep socioeconomic inequities. A significant cause of deaths is related to infectious diseases, many of which can be treated with antimicrobial agents or prevented with vaccines. However, drug-resistant microorganisms are emerging in all parts of the world and represent a major global health threat. Although resistance develops naturally, the excessive and unreasonable use of antibiotics accelerates its emergence, especially, but not exclusively, among human pathogens. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the misuse of drugs – including antibiotics – with no evidence of effectiveness to treat the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of note, the SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy/puerperium poses additional challenges.

In this Research Topic, we welcome contributions covering the epidemiology and clinical features of maternal and childhood bacterial and fungal infections associated with drug resistance, affecting pregnant or postpartum women, neonates, infants or young children in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to present studies that add new knowledge to the understanding of the epidemiology, clinical features, host-pathogen interactions and vaccine development against maternal and/or childhood bacterial and fungal pathogens associated with drug resistance before and after the emergence of COVID-19. The list of microorganisms includes, but is not restricted to, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida spp., Chlamydia trachomatis, Escherichia coli, Histoplasma capsulatum, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes.

We welcome submissions of studies (Frontiers in Microbiology - Article Types) focusing on, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Co-infection between SARS-CoV-2 and drug-resistant bacteria or fungi associated with maternal and/or childhood infections;
• Immune response in patients with COVID-19 and its association with clinical outcome of infections with drug-resistant fungi or bacteria;
• Antibiotic stewardship research to avoid antibiotic misuse and contain the emergence of antimicrobial resistance;
• Vaccine development against maternal and/or childhood bacterial and fungal pathogens associated with drug resistance;
• Epidemiology and clinical features of maternal and/or childhood bacterial and fungal infections before and after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We would also like to thank Dr. Christina Obiero for all their hand work and contributions to this Research Topic.

Keywords: Maternal infections, paediatric infections, bacteria, antimicrobial resistance, COVID-19, fungi, drug resistance

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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