ACTIVITY RANGE OF COMMERCIAL PHAGE PREPARATIONS AGAINST METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS ISOLATES

Abstract

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was first discovered in 1962, since then it has been recognized as a major causative agent of healthcare-associated infections. MRSA infections are usually divided into three groups: hospital- (HA), community- (CA) and livestock-associated (LA) MRSA. The incidence of LA-MRSA infections among livestock and companion animals is a great concern because these sources could potentially be reservoirs for zoonotic infections. In Ukraine, recent statistics indicated approximately 82 % of tested livestock were S. aureus positive with 53.8 % of resistance. In addition, the diversity of MRSA in Ukraine has not been investigated.
 Antibiotic resistance during treatment in both clinical practice and veterinary medicine remains a challenge and requires alternative solutions. Bacteriophage-based treatment represents a promising biocontrol strategy with proven effectiveness against MRSA. The purpose of our research was to evaluate the activity of two commercial phage preparations against a local collection of LA-MRSA host strains and to characterize and adapt individual phages isolated from these preparations with the desired goal of enhancing their efficacy.
 In our study, we tested two commercial phage preparations (Eliava BioProduction, Georgia) Staphylococcus Bacteriophage and Intesti Bacteriophage on local LA-MRSA isolates. In addition, we utilized two single phages we isolated from these preparations. Both commercial phage preparations showed variable activity against the tested isolates. Intesti Bacteriophage cocktail lysed 60 % of isolates, whereas the single phage isolated from it was found to be ineffective. Staphylococcus Bacteriophage preparation showed activity against 30 % of MRSA tested, while the isolated phage was active against 70 % of the tested isolates. For the first time in Ukraine, in this study we assessed host range of commercial phages on local circulating livestock-associated MRSA. Further host range analysis on an expanded collection of Ukrainian MRSA isolates as well as taxonomic and genomic characterization of the phages is planned.