Preface

Abstract

Healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) have become a very significant medical concern both in developed and in developing countries, especially as microorganisms have developed high resistance to the existent antibiotics arsenal. While no exact numbers exist, it is assessed that millions of people worldwide acquire a HAI each year. These infections contribute significantly to morbidity, mortality and hospitalization costs. For example, in the United States alone, it was estimated that ~2 million HAI occur each year by all types of microorganisms, causing or contributing to ~100,000 deaths and adding ~$10 billion in additional healthcare expenses annually [1-3].