Phage Therapy: A Potential Solution for Antibiotic Resistance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chirag Choudhary ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Phage Therapy ◽  
Biological Agents ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
The Future

The idea of using a virus to kill bacteria may seem counterintuitive, but it may be the future of treating bacterial infections. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most frightening biological agents were so-called “superbugs” – antibiotic resistant bacteria – which could not be treated with conventional therapeutics. When antibiotics were first developed, they were hailed as a panacea. A panacea they were not.

scholarly journals Editorial for the Special Issue: “Phage Therapy: A Biological Approach to Treatment of Bacterial Infections”

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 721
Author(s):  
Saija Kiljunen
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Costs ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Phage Therapy ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Biological Approach

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria presents a major challenge in terms of increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs [...]

scholarly journals Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Clams—A Study on Mussels in the River Rhine

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 571
Author(s):  
Nicole Zacharias ◽  
Iris Löckener ◽  
Sarah M. Essert ◽  
Esther Sib ◽  
Gabriele Bierbaum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plant ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
River Rhine ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Surrounding Water ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant

Bacterial infections have been treated effectively by antibiotics since the discovery of penicillin in 1928. A worldwide increase in the use of antibiotics led to the emergence of antibiotic resistant strains in almost all bacterial pathogens, which complicates the treatment of infectious diseases. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria play an important role in increasing the risk associated with the usage of surface waters (e.g., irrigation, recreation) and the spread of the resistance genes. Many studies show that important pathogenic antibiotic-resistant bacteria can enter the environment by the discharge of sewage treatment plants and combined sewage overflow events. Mussels have successfully been used as bio-indicators of heavy metals, chemicals and parasites; they may also be efficient bio-indicators for viruses and bacteria. In this study an influence of the discharge of a sewage treatment plant could be shown in regard to the presence of E. coli in higher concentrations in the mussels downstream the treatment plant. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resistant against one or two classes of antibiotics and relevance for human health could be detected in the mussels at different sampling sites of the river Rhine. No multidrug-resistant bacteria could be isolated from the mussels, although they were found in samples of the surrounding water body.

scholarly journals Comparison of Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Escherichia coli between Pristine and Human-Impacted Sites in a River

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 575
Author(s):  
Emi Nishimura ◽  
Masateru Nishiyama ◽  
Kei Nukazawa ◽  
Yoshihiro Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Downstream Site ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Upstream Site ◽  
Resistance Profile ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance Profile ◽  
Significant Difference

Information on the actual existence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in rivers where sewage, urban wastewater, and livestock wastewater do not load is essential to prevent the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in water environments. This study compared the antibiotic resistance profile of Escherichia coli upstream and downstream of human habitation. The survey was conducted in the summer, winter, and spring seasons. Resistance to one or more antibiotics at upstream and downstream sites was on average 18% and 20%, respectively, and no significant difference was observed between the survey sites. The resistance rates at the upstream site (total of 98 isolated strains) to each antibiotic were cefazolin 17%, tetracycline 12%, and ampicillin 8%, in descending order. Conversely, for the downstream site (total of 89 isolated strains), the rates were ampicillin 16%, cefazolin 16%, and tetracycline 1% in descending order. The resistance rate of tetracycline in the downstream site was significantly lower than that of the upstream site. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis revealed that many strains showed different resistance profiles even in the same cluster of the Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) pattern. Moreover, the resistance profiles differed in the same cluster of the upstream and the downstream sites. In flowing from the upstream to the downstream site, it is plausible that E. coli transmitted or lacked the antibiotic resistance gene.

scholarly journals Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Rearing Seawater

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1841
Author(s):  
Thanaporn Chuen-Im ◽  
Korapan Sawetsuwannakun ◽  
Pimmnapar Neesanant ◽  
Nakarin Kitkumthorn
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Bacterial Infection ◽  
High Mortality ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Resistant Isolate ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Increased Risk

Antibiotic resistance of microorganisms is a serious health problem for both humans and animals. Infection of these bacteria may result in therapy failure, leading to high mortality rates. During an early intervention program process, the Sea Turtle Conservation Center of Thailand (STCCT) has faced high mortality rates due to bacterial infection. Previously, investigation of juvenile turtle carcasses found etiological agents in tissue lesions. Further determination of sea water in the turtle holding tanks revealed a prevalence of these causative agents in water samples, implying association of bacterial isolates in rearing water and infection in captive turtles. In this study, we examined the antibiotic resistance of bacteria in seawater from the turtle holding tank for a management plan of juvenile turtles with bacterial infection. The examination was carried out in three periods: 2015 to 2016, 2018, and 2019. The highest isolate numbers were resistant to beta-lactam, whilst low aminoglycoside resistance rates were observed. No gentamicin-resistant isolate was detected. Seventy-nine isolates (71.17%) were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Consideration of resistant bacterial and antibiotic numbers over three sampling periods indicated increased risk of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to sea turtle health. Essentially, this study emphasizes the importance of antibiotic-resistant bacterial assessment in rearing seawater for sea turtle husbandry.

scholarly journals Bacteriophages: the possible solution to treat infections caused by pathogenic bacteria

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 865-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman El-Shibiny ◽  
Salma El-Sahhar
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Phage Therapy ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Western World ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Vaccine Production ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant

Since their discovery in 1915, bacteriophages have been used to treat bacterial infections in animals and humans because of their unique ability to infect their specific bacterial hosts without affecting other bacterial populations. The research carried out in this field throughout the 20th century, largely in Georgia, part of USSR and Poland, led to the establishment of phage therapy protocols. However, the discovery of penicillin and sulfonamide antibiotics in the Western World during the 1930s was a setback in the advancement of phage therapy. The misuse of antibiotics has reduced their efficacy in controlling pathogens and has led to an increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. As an alternative to antibiotics, bacteriophages have become a topic of interest with the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which are a threat to public health. Recent studies have indicated that bacteriophages can be used indirectly to detect pathogenic bacteria or directly as biocontrol agents. Moreover, they can be used to develop new molecules for clinical applications, vaccine production, drug design, and in the nanomedicine field via phage display.

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