Multidisciplinary Approaches for Studying and Combating Microbial Pathogens offers the opportunity to learn about recent findings in the fight against microbial pathogens. This book contains a compilation of papers presented at the III International Conference on Antimicrobial Research (ICAR2014), held in Madrid, Spain, in October 2014. The papers are written by researchers from around the world and focus on several themes: antimicrobial natural products, biofilms, antimicrobial surfaces, antimicrobial resistance, clinical and medical microbiology. Readers will hopefully find this set of papers interesting and representative of the worldwide current knowledge on antimicrobial research.

The National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, published in 2014, sets out a plan for government work to mitigate the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria. Direction on the implementation of this strategy is provided in five-year national action plans, the first covering 2015 to 2020, and the second covering 2020 to 2025. Combating Antimicrobial Resistance and Protecting the Miracle of Modern Medicine evaluates progress made against the national strategy. This report discusses ways to improve detection of resistant infections and estimate the risk to human health from environmental sources of resistance. In addition, the report considers the effect of agricultural practices on human and animal health and animal welfare and ways these practices could be improved, and advises on key drugs and diseases for which animal-specific test breakpoints are needed.

Tackling the realities of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation today is no longer uncommon. Many battles have been fought in the past since the discovery of antibiotics between man and microbes. In the tussle of new antibiotic modifications, the transmission of resistant genes, both vertically and horizontally unveils yet another resistant attribute for the microbe, for it only to be faced with a more powerful, wide spectrum antibiotic; the cycle continues-and the winner is yet to be known. This book aims to provide some insight into various molecular mechanisms, agricultural mitigation methods, and the One Health applications to maybe, just maybe, tip the scales towards us.

Infectious diseases are a global hazard that puts every nation and every person at risk. The recent SARS outbreak is a prime example. Knowing neither geographic nor political borders, often arriving silently and lethally, microbial pathogens constitute a grave threat to the health of humans. Indeed, a majority of countries recently identified the spread of infectious disease as the greatest global problem they confront. Throughout history, humans have struggled to control both the causes and consequences of infectious diseases and we will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. Following up on a high-profile 1992 report from the Institute of Medicine, Microbial Threats to Health examines the current state of knowledge and policy pertaining to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases from around the globe. It examines the spectrum of microbial threats, factors in disease emergence, and the ultimate capacity of the United States to meet the challenges posed by microbial threats to human health. From the impact of war or technology on disease emergence to the development of enhanced disease surveillance and vaccine strategies, Microbial Threats to Health contains valuable information for researchers, students, health care providers, policymakers, public health officials. and the interested public.

Antimicrobial peptides, commonly isolated from several organisms, have been considered part of innate immune system and also as potential antimicrobial drugs. Besides its antimicrobial activity, some AMPs also have antifungal activity, inmmunomodulatory and antitumural activities. Lately not only nature has become a source of AMPs. Besides isolation of natural organisms, antimicrobial peptides might be improved or created using computational tools. This opens even more this so amazing field by creating infinite novel and remarkable possibilities. Overall the current issue highlights the relevance of such Research Topic with perspectives to develop entirely new molecules with vast application within health and agricultural field with higher affinity for its target with concomitant reduction of side effects.

Humans coexist with millions of harmless microorganisms, but emerging diseases, resistance to antibiotics, and the threat of bioterrorism are forcing scientists to look for new ways to confront the microbes that do pose a danger. This report identifies innovative approaches to the development of antimicrobial drugs and vaccines based on a greater understanding of how the human immune system interacts with both good and bad microbes. The report concludes that the development of a single superdrug to fight all infectious agents is unrealistic.

Antibiotic resistance development is a natural process of adaption leading to a limited lifespan of antibiotics. Unnecessary and inappropriate use of antibiotics favours the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria. A crisis has been building up over decades, so that today common and life-threatening infections are becoming difficult or even impossible to treat. It is time to take much stronger action worldwide to avert an ever increasing health and economic burden. A new WHO publication "The evolving threat of antimicrobial resistance--Options for action" describes examples of policy activities that have addressed AMR in different parts of the world. The aim is to raise awareness and to stimulate further coordinated efforts.