Isolation and Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteriophages

Staphylococcus aureus infections have become problematic not only in community based infections, but also in nosocomial infections due to its high frequency of antibiotic resistance. MRSA and VRSA infections are difficult to treat conventionally. Therefore, the use of specific bacteriophage that target these antibiotic resistant strains of S. aureus is a potential alternative treatment strategy for these infections. Bacteriophage have been isolated from sewage and amplified in the presence of S. aureus. Several strains of S. aureus that have been isolated from human and laboratory sources are being tested against the phage isolates to identify the potential host range of these phage. By isolating and characterizing wild type phage that are effective at eliminating many strains of S. aureus, a cocktail of these bacteriophages may be looked at as a model to treat a range of S. aureus type infections.