Phage Therapy in Veterinary Medicine.

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Veterinary Medicine
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance necessitates alternative infection control strategies.
• Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect bacteria, offering a potential therapeutic approach.
• Phage therapy is explored as an alternative or supplement to conventional antibiotics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the biological characteristics of phages and factors influencing phage therapy success.
• To comprehensively assess research on phage therapy for bacterial diseases in domestic animals.
• To compare the application and research status of phage therapy in farm animals versus pets.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature on bacteriophages and phage therapy.
• Analysis of in vitro and in vivo studies concerning phage therapy efficacy.
• Examination of research trends and regulatory considerations for phage therapy.

Main Results:

• Phages possess unique biological traits beneficial for infection treatment.
• Phage therapy has demonstrated efficacy in farm animals, especially for zoonoses and economically significant diseases like mastitis.
• Research on phage therapy in pets is less extensive but emerging.

Conclusions:

• Phage therapy presents a viable alternative to antibiotics for animal health.
• Further research and specific legislation are needed to fully implement phage therapy.
• The application of phage therapy varies between farm animals and pets, requiring tailored research approaches.