<div>Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern for human and animal health. As the development and commercialization of a new class of antibiotics are difficult, time-consuming and extremely costly, exploration of alternatives like bacteriophages is considered one of the most suitable sources. There is a paucity of databases on the isolation of bacteriophages and exploration of their antibacterial properties against pathogenic MDR E. coli. The current study was undertaken to isolate and identify the bacteriophages from sewages to evaluate their lytic activity against MDR pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from domestic animals in Mizoram. 
 
Methods: Total 50 samples were collected to process for isolation, identification and characterization of bacteriophages. Simultaneously, a total of 192 rectal swabs from pigs were collected, followed by isolation and identification of Escherichia coli. All the isolates were subjected to detection of selected virulence genes by PCR and determination of their antimicrobial sensitivity profile using commercial disks. All the bacteriophage isolates were assessed for their lytic effect against the MDR pathogenic E. coli isolates. 
 
Result: A total of six bacteriophages were isolated. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that bacteriophages belong to the Myoviridae family. Total 163 E. coli was isolated, out of which 59 isolates were pathogenic, which could be classified under STEC, EPEC, EHEC and ETEC pathotypes. By disk diffusion assay, majority of the E. coli showed resistance against commonly used antibacterial agents, viz., ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, cefpodoxime, ceftriaxone, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, doxycycline, gentamicin and streptomycin. Except one, all the bacteriophages exhibited lytic activity against pathogenic and MDR E. coli field isolates. Bacteriophages isolated and identified from sewages of Mizoram exhibited antimicrobial activities against field isolates of multidrug-resistant pathogenic E. coli isolated from pigs. Bacteriophages can be considered as a potential alternative to antibiotics to control the menace of AMR.</div>

Isolation, Identification and Characterization of Bacteriophages as a Potential Antibacterial Agent Against Multidrug-Resistant Pathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Swine in North Eastern Region of India

<div>Background: Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. They are obligate intracellular infective agents requiring specific bacterial organism as a host cell for their replication. They are most widely distributed and diverse entities in the biosphere and ubiquitously present in all reservoirs populated by bacterial hosts, such as soil and the intestine of animals. Bacteriophages are very specific in nature selectively replicate in particular bacteria.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Methods: In present study we have isolated the bacteriophages from sewage of various livestock farms. Sewage samples (n=150) were collected from different depths of the sewage collection tank from different species viz. cow, buffalo, goat and pig. All the samples were subjected primarily to isolation bacteriophage against S. aureus. Recovered bacteriophages were identified with transmission electron microscopy (TM).&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Result: Total of twenty seven sewage samples were showing plaque formation by producing lytic activity against S. aureus in double agar overlay method. The recovery percentage of bacteriophages was maximum from cattle farm sewage (30%), followed by buffalo farm sewage (20%) and pig farm sewage (17.50%). The result indicated that recovered Bacteriophage had icosahedral symmetry and head size 52.20 nm with 109 nm tail. Bacteriophage selectively infected S. aureus with a narrow host range. Results indicated that the recovered isolates of bacteriophage remained viable at 50&deg;C for one and two min and no viable survivors were seen at the 5 min exposure. They remained viable at 60&deg;C for 1 min only and did not show viability for 2 and 5 min exposure at 60&deg;C. None of the bacteriophages survived at 70&deg;C for 1, 2 and 5 min. Bacteriophage isolates were completely inactivated below pH 3 and above 11; they remained viable only in pH range of 5 to 9.</div>

Isolation, Identification and Characterization of Bacteriophages as a Potential Antibacterial Agent Against Multidrug-Resistant Pathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Swine in North Eastern Region of India

​Isolation and Identification of Novel Staphylococcus Phage as a Novel Therapeutic Agent from Sewage of Livestock Farms

Isolation and Identification of Novel Staphylococcus Phage as a Novel Therapeutic Agent from Sewage of Livestock Farms