Therapy could stop superbugs on farms, by Pallab Ghosh, BBC News website.
Researchers at Leicester University have identified a range of viruses, called bacteriophages, that can be used to kill common pig infections. The aim is to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria emerging on farms that could also infect humans. In the UK, 40% of all antibiotics are used to treat animals - they are the same as those used to treat people.
Phages occur in nature and are the natural enemy of many infectious agents. Each of the many phages is specific to different infectious bugs, homing in on them and injecting the phage's DNA into the bug, thus rendering it harmless. Like all viruses, phages reproduce inside the infectious bug and these new phages then hunt other infections.
Attempts to develop phage treatments have been carried out for more than a century but have mostly proved unreliable. However, researchers have now found more precise ways of isolating phages and assessing their effectiveness.
The research team has identified a range of disease-killing phages, and more importantly, have developed a powdered form of the phage which remains active. This would enable researchers to add the powdered phage to pig feed and see if it works in practice.
If trials in pigs work, other phage treatments could be developed for a range of animal diseases, and would speed the development of phage treatments for people.
Source: Therapy could stop superbugs on farms by Pallab Ghosh, Science Correspondent, BBC News 8 June 2017
