Infect Chemother.  2022 Mar;54(1):153-164. 10.3947/ic.2021.0132.

Isolation, Characterization and in vitro Evaluation of Specific Bacteriophages Targeting Extensive Drug Resistance Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated from Septic Burn Wounds

• Amin Marashi SM
• Nikkhahi F
• Hamedi D
• Shahbazi G

• KMID: 2527850
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0132

Abstract

Background
Antibiotic resistant bacteria and various infections caused by them especially extensive drug resistance (XDR) strains and worrying statistics of mortality due to these strains and also the lack of a clear vision for development and production of new effective antibiotics have made the necessity of using alternative therapies more apparent.
Materials and Methods
In this study, specific phages affecting the Pseudomonas aeruginosa XDR strain were extracted from hospital wastewater and their laboratory characteristics along with lysis effect on 40 XDR strains of P. aeruginosa were investigated.
Results
The results indicated that three isolated phages (PaB1, PaBa2 and PaBa3) belonged to the Myoviridae and Pododoviridae families and were specific to Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains.More than 98% of phages absorbed their host in less than 10 minutes (Adsorption time <10 min) and completed their lytic cycle after 40 minutes (latent time = 40 min). Burst size of PaBa1, PaBa2 and PaBa3 was 240, 250 and 220 pfu/cell, respectively. PaBa1 lysed 62.5% of the XDR strains with the highest efficiency. The three Phage cocktail was effective against 67.5% of the studied strains.
Conclusion
The results of this study indicate the significant potential of these phages for therapeutic use and prophylaxis of infections caused by this bacterium.

Keyword

Bacteriophage; Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Drug resistance; Antibiotic resistance