Lytic potential of a filamentous bacteriophage isolated from sewage water in Tehran on clinical carbapenem-resistant strains

Keyvan  Esmaeili-Fard-Barzegar; Shahin Najar-Peerayeh; Ramin Mazaheri Nezhad Fard; Bita Bakhshi

doi:10.18502/ijm.v14i5.10966

Keyvan Esmaeili-Fard-Barzegar Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Shahin Najar-Peerayeh Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Ramin Mazaheri Nezhad Fard Department of Pathobiology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Bita Bakhshi Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijm.v14i5.10966

Keywords: Bacteriophage; Acinetobacter baumannii; Sewage; Drug resistance; Inoviridae

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii), an opportunistic pathogen, has been isolated from sewage, soil, and hospital wards.The prevalence of multidrug-resistance A. baumannii has seriously caused a health crisis in hospital settings. Bacteriophages have been used as an alternativetherapy for control carbapenem-resistant bacteria-caused infections. We aimed to assay lytic effect of a filamentous phage on clinical bacterial strains.

Materials and Methods: 500-ml water samples was collected from sewage in Tehran. Sewage samples were precipitated at 6000 rpm for 10 minutes andfiltered using 0.45-µm syringe filters. Bacteriophage was isolated using double-layer agar assay and evaluated its stability at various pH and temperatureranges. In addition, the stability of the phage was assayed at chloroform 0.1%.

Results: Transmission electron microscopy imagine showed phage is filamentous called vB-AbaI-TMU2. The phage affect- ed on its own host so that couldnot effect on any Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. vB-AbaI- TMU2 phage was stable at pH 5 and 7 and also temperatures 25 and37°C. vB-AbaI-TMU2 was stable at chloroform 0.1%. vB-AbaI-TMU2 phage infected carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains while other bacterial strainswere resistant to.

Conclusion: The present study indicated the isolated phage had a narrow host range and is susceptible to various pH values and temperatures.