Isolation of a specific bacteriophage against antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

Background and Aim : Nosocomial infections are one of the major medical problems in the world. The members of the Enterobacteriaceae family, especially Klebsiella pneumoniae, play an important role in the development of antibiotic-resistant nosocomial infections. One way to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria is to use bacterial viruses or bacteriophages. In this regard, the present study was aimed to isolate specific bacteriophage against K. pneumoniae.Methods : To isolate Klebsiella specific bacteriophages,۵۰mL of municipal wastewater sample was added to ۵۰mL BHI broth (۲X). One milliliter of an overnight culture of K. pneumoniae was then added to the mixture. After ۲۴ h incubation at ۳۷ ◦C, specific bacteriophage was isolated against antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella by double layered agar method. Finally, the host range of the isolated phage was determined by spot test.Results : The findings of this study show that the isolated bacteriophage only affects some strains of K. pneumoniae and forms a clear zone of inhibition, suggesting that the virus is a virulent phage.Conclusion : Phage therapy can be introduced as an alternative to antibiotics to fight antibiotic-resistant infections. For this purpose, virulent bacteriophages like the isolated Klebsiella phage can be used.