Vertical Transmission

I wish you a belated but warm welcome to this new year, 2022. For many of us, this year is already looking very different to the past 2 years. However, the dominance of microbes and microbiology in the media, and in demanding attention from the public, continues. As well as the continuing attention to COVID-19 (aren’t we microbiologists all just dreading the appearance of the next variant?), we are now seeing the emergence of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in multiple locations in Australia. As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, our relative isolation is not a safeguard from the risks of global health crises. Sadly, history has taught us that war and a rise in infectious diseases go hand-in-hand because of the dismantling of existing health systems and control programmes, such as diagnostics and vaccination, the displacement of populations, overcrowding, and lack of clean food and water. The war in Ukraine is terrifying for many reasons, including the human suffering and death that is happening by the hour, and the implications for continued disruption of global relations, but the addition of escalating infectious diseases adds a layer of complexity to an already fraught situation. As microbiologists, we appreciate that human behaviours, good and bad, can have major consequences on the activities of our microbial partners.

We are pleased to be bringing you this issue, focussed on microbiological diagnostics, and we have many exciting topics to cover this year. Please get in touch if you have ideas for articles to contribute, or special issues to put together, or any hot topics you would like to see covered. This is your journal and you can play a role in shaping the content of upcoming issues.

Don’t forget to go to our ASM Community portal, which allows members to connect with one another, to join special interest groups, have discussions with members who have similar interests, and to keep up to date on all ASM matters. To join the ASM community, go to https://community.theasm.org.au/ and click on the icon at the top RHS of the screen to set up your profile. Select ‘Communities’ from the banner menu to join a Special Interest Group community. Our other platforms, including our website www.theasm.org.au, ASM on Twitter, @AUSSOCMIC, or on Facebook, are also very active. We encourage and welcome your engagement using any option that suits you.