The Isolation and Examination of the Host Specificity of Local Bacteriophages for Use Against Brucella abortus

Abstract

Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. Although their effects on bacteria have been known for many years, the discovery of antibiotics has limited the widespread use of bacteriophages against bacterial infections. However, it is now essential to reconsider using phage therapies due to antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and uncontrolled bacterial zoonotic diseases becoming a global problem. This study aimed to isolate lytic phages against B. abortus, the most common agent that causes bovine brucellosis, which has become a worldwide animal and public health problem. This performed isolation is from cattle farms known to be previously or currently infected, and the study also evaluates the lytic effects of these phages on B. abortus, B. melitensis, B. suis biotypes, B. ovis and B. neotomae and B. abortus field isolates in our culture collection. In this process, seven local brucella-specific phages were identified by evaluating 112 samples via general phage isolation and purification. The lyticity of the isolated bacteriophages were analyzed with international reference: B. abortus (bv 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9), B. melitensis (bv 1, 2, 3), B. suis (bv 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) biovars, B. ovis, B. neotomae and B. abortus field strains (n:20). It was found that 85% of B. abortus strains produced a lysis pattern like Tbilisi ? through local phages. In terms of the lysis results, three different B. abortus specific phages were isolated (98 ?, 104 ?, and (P35, P70, P94/1, P94/2, P94/3) phages). It is thought that the applying cocktails prepared from these phages to fight against brucellosis will significantly contribute to controlling the disease. Since 15% of the field isolates were found to be rough strains, it is recommended that R/C ? are included in the prepared cocktails.