About this Research Topic

Background

Of the more than 170 species recognized in the Mycobacterium genus, several are known to cause serious diseases in humans, including tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and leprosy (Mycobacterium leprae), as well as pulmonary, disseminated and cutaneous diseases caused by a range of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). NTM have been isolated from several environmental sources such as water, soil and air, which act as a reservoir for potential human and animal infection. Mycobacterial transmission is, however, not yet fully understood and more insight is needed into transmission dynamics, as well as environmental reservoirs, co-infection, molecular differentiation, available treatment and drug resistance. The aim of this collection is therefore to improve our understanding on recent developments, particularly those in molecular biology, in respect to diagnosis, transmission and treatment of mycobacterial infection and associated diseases.

This Research Topic encourages the following sub-themes:

1. Methods for isolation/characterization of environmental mycobacterial species

2. The existence of mycobacteria in environmental reservoirs such as soil, water and air and its transmission dynamics in humans (and animal species in the case of zoonosis)

3. Management of mycobacterial infections

4. Association between mycobacterial diseases with other infections

5. The prevalence and incidence of nontuberculous mycobacteria as cause of skin conditions, lung diseases and fungal infections

6. Molecular techniques in the diagnosis of M. tuberculosis and the detection of drug resistance

7. Mycobacterial disease associated with drug resistance and HIV infection

8. Mycobacterial infection and Covid-19

9. Drug use in the treatment of mycobacterial infections and drug resistance-molecular approaches and drug sensitivity testing methods

10. Modern laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis, leprosy, other non-tuberculous mycobacteria; available technologies, limitations, and possibilities

11. Genomic perspectives on the evolution and spread of mycobacterial infection

Keywords: Mycobacteria, Environmental Mycobacteria, Identification, Isolation, Antimicrobial resistance, Transmission, diagnosis

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