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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2005, p. 1836-1842, Vol. 71, No. 4
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.4.1836-1842.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Potential of the Polyvalent Anti-Staphylococcus Bacteriophage K for Control of Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococci from Hospitals

S. O'Flaherty,1,2,3 R. P. Ross,2,4* W. Meaney,2 G. F. Fitzgerald,3,4 M. F. Elbreki,5 and A. Coffey5

Dairy Products Research Centre,1 Dairy Production Research Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, County Cork,2 Department of Microbiology, University College Cork,3 Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre,4 Department of Biological Sciences, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland5

Received 27 May 2004/ Accepted 6 November 2004

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant staphylococci has prompted the need for antibacterial controls other than antibiotics. In this study, a lytic bacteriophage (phage K) was assessed in vitro for its ability to inhibit emerging drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains from hospitals and other species of Staphylococcus isolated from bovine infections. In in vitro inhibitory assays, phage K lysed a range of clinically isolated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains, S. aureus with heterogeneous vancomycin resistance and vancomycin resistance, and teicoplanin-resistant strains. In these assays, 14 of the MRSA strains were initially only weakly sensitive to this phage. However, propagation of phage K on these less-sensitive strains resulted in all 14 being sensitive to the modified phages. The results enforce the principle that, while certain target bacteria may be relatively insensitive to lytic phage, this can be overcome by obtaining modified phage variants from passage of the phage through the insensitive strains. Model in situ hand wash studies using a phage-enriched wash solution resulted in a 100-fold reduction in staphylococcal numbers on human skin by comparison with numbers remaining after washing in phage-free solution. Infusion of the phage into a nonimmunogenic bismuth-based cream resulted in strong anti-Staphylococcus activity from the cream on plates and in broth.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Teagasc, Dairy Products Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland. Phone: 353-25-42229. Fax: 353-25-42340. E-mail: pross{at}moorepark.teagasc.ie.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, April 2005, p. 1836-1842, Vol. 71, No. 4
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.4.1836-1842.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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