Novel bacteriophage therapy for controlling metallo-beta-lactamase producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in Catfish

Abstract

BackgroundThe bacteriophage therapy is an effective antimicrobial approach with potentially important applications in medicine and biotechnology which can be seen as an additional string in the bow. Emerging drug resistant bacteria in aquaculture industry due to unrestricted use of antibiotics warrants more sustainable and environmental friendly strategies for controlling fish infections.The isolated bacteria from fish lesions was characterised based on isolation on selective and differential medium like Pseudomonas agar, gram staining, biochemical tests and 16SrRNA sequencing. The metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) producing bacterial isolate was evaluated using Imipenem - Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) disk method. The specific bacteriophage was isolated and concentrated using coal bed developed in our lab at CSIR-NEERI. The isolated and enriched bacteriophage was characterised by nucleotide sequencing and electron microscopy. The phage therapy was applied for treating ulcerative lesion in fish.ResultsThe pathogenic bacterium responsible for causing ulcerative lesions in catfish species (Clarias gariepinus) was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. One out of twenty P. aeruginosa isolate showing multi drug resistance (MDR) was incidentally found to be MBL producing as determined by Imipenem-EDTA disk method. The phage therapy effectively cured the ulcerative lesions of the infected fish in 8–10 days of treatment, with a sevenfold reduction of the lesion with untreated infection control.ConclusionBacteriophage therapy can have potential applications soon as an alternative or as a complement to antibiotic treatment in the aquaculture. We present bacteriophage therapy as a treatment method for controlling MDR P. aeruginosa infection in C. gariepinus. To the best of our knowledge this is a first report of application of phage therapy against MBL producing P. aeruginosa isolated from aquatic ecosystem.

Phage Therapy: a Step Forward in the Treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections

“…Since Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most problematic opportunistic pathogens involved in hospital-acquired infections (23)(24)(25)(26), large fractions of the phage application studies and genome sequencing projects have been focused on this bacterium (3,5,(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33).…”

Bacteriophage remediation of bacterial pathogens in aquaculture: a review of the technology

“…A study from India evaluated the ability of phages to cure ulcerative lesions reportedly caused by P. aeruginosa on the surface of freshwater catfish (Clarias gariepinus). 56 Twenty P. aeruginosa isolates were obtained from catfish lesions. They all showed multiple drug resistance, and one produced metallo-b-lactamase, making this isolate carbapenem-resistant too.…”

Toxicity of β-Lactam Antibiotics: Pathophysiology, Molecular Biology and Possible Recovery Strategies

“…A unique and efective phage against metallo-β-lactamase producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) has been used to treat a catish infection. However, this phage is not useful for the treatment of infections in human [15]. By the way, combination of phages and antibiotics is possible; it is called phage-antibiotic synergy (PAS) and has been proven successful in some bacteria normally resistant to β-lactam antibiotics such as cefotaxime [16].…”

“…But it is nowadays on the table as a potential replacement for β-lactam antibiotics in the near future. It has been successfully applied to cultured African catish, which were infected by P. aeruginosa and positive results have evaluated, while there was a resistance for β-lactam antibiotics [15], and phage therapy may be a logical substitute for β-lactam antibiotics in the near future.…”