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Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria
14:04

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria

Published on: May 8, 2013

Potential possibilities of using phage typing in elimination of multidrug resistant staphylococci

Zuzanna Drulis-Kawa1, Beata Weber-Dabrowska, Marzanna Lusiak-Szelachowska

  • 1Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, Poland.

Polish Journal of Microbiology
|October 8, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Multidrug-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are a growing concern in neonatal infections. This study found that certain bacteriophages show potential for treating these resistant bacterial strains.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Bacteriology

Background:

  • Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are frequently isolated from neonates, causing significant nosocomial infections.
  • These CoNS strains often exhibit multidrug resistance to common antibiotics like oxacillin, macrolides, aminoglycosides, and fluoroquinolones.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of staphylococcus bacteriophages against multidrug-resistant CoNS strains isolated from neonatal bloodstream infections.
  • To identify specific bacteriophages with lytic activity against these challenging pathogens.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty multidrug-resistant CoNS strains from neonatal infections were tested for sensitivity to 23 different lytic staphylococcus bacteriophages.
  • Lytic patterns were observed to determine bacteriophage activity against the CoNS isolates.

Main Results:

  • Nineteen of the 23 tested bacteriophages showed no lytic activity against the CoNS strains.
  • Bacteriophages P4, A3R, and 676/Z demonstrated activity against 46%, 54%, and 56% of the strains, respectively.
  • Overall, 60% of the CoNS isolates were susceptible to at least one of the tested staphylococcus bacteriophages.

Conclusions:

  • Specific bacteriophages, including P4, A3R, and 676/Z, exhibit lytic activity against multidrug-resistant CoNS.
  • Bacteriophage therapy presents a potential alternative or adjunct treatment for neonatal infections caused by resistant CoNS strains.

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