The recorded growth in infection by multidrug resistant bacteria necessitates prompt efforts toward developing alternatives to antibiotics, such as bacteriophage therapy. Immuno-compromised patients with diabetes mellitus are particularly prone to foot infections by multidrug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, which may be compounded by chronic osteomyelitis. Bacteriophage ZCKP1, isolated from freshwater in Giza, Egypt, was tested in vitro to evaluate its lytic activity against a multidrug resistant K. pneumoniae KP/01, isolated from foot wound of a diabetic patient in Egypt. Characterization of ZCKP1 phage indicated that it belonged to the Myoviridae family of bacteriophages with a ds-DNA genome size of 150.9 kb. Bacteriophage ZCKP1 lysed a range of osteomyelitis pathogenic agents including Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp. and E. coli isolates. The bacteriophage reduced the bacterial counts of host bacteria by ≥2 log10 CFU/ml at 25°C, and demonstrated the ability to reduce bacterial counts and biofilm biomass (>50%) when applied at high multiplicity of infection (50 PFU/CFU). These characteristics make ZCKP1 phage of potential therapeutic value to treat K. pneumoniae and associated bacteria present in diabetic foot patients.

Developing novel antimicrobials capable of controlling multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens is essential to restrict the use of antibiotics. Bacteriophages (phages) constitute a major resource that can be harnessed as an alternative to traditional antimicrobial therapies. Phage ZCSE2 was isolated among several others from raw sewage but was distinguished by broad-spectrum activity against Salmonella serovars considered pathogenic to humans and animals. Lytic profiles of ZCSE2 against a panel of Salmonella were determined together with low temperature activity and pH stability. The morphological features of the phage and host infection processes were characterized using a combination of transmission electron and atomic force microscopies. Whole genome sequencing of ZCSE2 produced a complete DNA sequence of 53,965 bp. No known virulence genes were identified in the sequence data, making ZCSE2 a good candidate for phage-mediated biological control purposes. ZCSE2 was further tested against S. Enteritidis in liquid culture and was observed to reduce the target bacterium to below the limits of detection from initial concentrations of 10 7 -10 8 Colony Forming Units (CFU)/mL. With a broad host-range against pathogenic Salmonella serovars, phage ZCSE2 constitutes a potential tool against a major cause of human and animal disease.

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