ISOLATING LYTIC COLIPHAGES FROM SEWAGE

Background and Aim:E.coli is a normal flora of human body, but some strains are pathogenic. Nowadays, as antibiotic resistance is a problem in medicine, scientists are searching for alternatives to combat this challenge. One option are bacteriophages- viruses that infect bacteria. In this study, we searched sewage samples to find lytic coliphages that lyse E. coli strains isolated from patients.Methods:Sewage samples from different places of Iran were collected. The samples were enriched in mid- log cultured host. After overnight incubation, drop test was carried out to check the presence of phages. Positive samples were purified to determine the host range of each isolated phage. Transmission electron micrographs were also prepared to identify phage families.Results:Two phages were isolated. Both could efficiently lyse E. coli strains even E. coli O157. TEM graphs showed that both phages belong to Myoviridae family.Conclusion:Bacteriophages are abundant and easy to isolate. Therefore, they can be considered as alternatives to antibiotics.

کلیدواژه ها:

bacteriophage ، E. coli ، Myoviridae