Isolation and characterisation of bacteriophages against avian Escherichia coli carrying multi-drug resistant (MDR) plasmids

General background: Antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli carrying MDR plasmids is considered to be one of the greatest threats to global health, and responsible for an estimated 700,000 deaths per year. Unfortunately, strategies for the control of such pathogens have been impeded by increasing antibiotic resistance, so there is a need to investigate alternative treatments. Bacteriophage (phage) are viruses that infect and kill only bacteria, and have been mooted as an alternative to antibiotic chemotherapy in the West since the 1980s.

Project background: In addition to killing pathogens by direct infection, phage can also be used as a tool to reduce the carriage of MDR plasmids using phage attach to conjugative pili of the AMR plasmids. We have preliminary data a part of the DTP rotation (Maluping , Atterbury, Barrow, Jones 2017). Four phage were identified phage which specifically targeted E. coli contain the resistance plasmid pFlacTn3 from an initial pool of 15 phage isolates. (Maluping, R., rotation data Barrow et al. 2017). These phage could be used to specifically target the plasmid bearing AMR bacteria and reduce AMR to support treatment of AMR bacterial infections.
Initial EM characterization as part of these bacteria indicated that these phage were all tailed and most likely classified as members of the Myoviridae (Maluping, R., rotation data Barrow et al. 2017).