European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases - Call for Papers: Antimicrobial Resistance and Super-Clones

Edited by Prof Johann Pitout, University of Calgary.

Please submit here. (this opens in a new tab)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats to human health, rivalling climate change. World health leaders have described AMR microorganisms as “nightmare bacteria” that “pose a catastrophic threat” to people in every country in the world. Bacterial super-clones have successful traits enabling them to become dominant within populations. They display enhanced ecological fitness through their abilities to compete, cooperate and construct within ecosystems to ensure their survival. MDR super-clones are “hoarders and spreaders” of AMR genes and are key players in the global emergence of AMR. 

E. coli ST131 is the quintessential example of a successful human AMR super-clone. It emerged from relative obscurity in the 1980s, to become the most dominant global lineage among E. coli within three decades. This clone is responsible for thousands of infections globally and has become an enormous public health burden. ST131 belongs to three clades: A, B and C, each with different fimH alleles. ST131-C is the most AMR and most dominant lineage among ST131 and divided into 3 subclades C0, C1 and C2. 

This issue will accommodate research articles regarding the laboratory detection, characterization, molecular epidemiology, and evolution of E. coli ST131 and other AMR super-clones such a Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258, ST147, ST307 and E. coli ST410, ST1193. Contributions from lower- and middle-income countries are encouraged.

Our submission guidelines can be found here. (this opens in a new tab) Please get in touch with the Publishing Editor if you have any queries about the issue or if you would like to submit.