Therapeutic Potential of Bacteriophages against Pathogenic Bacteria

Bacteriophages, the natural bacterial killers, are the magical viruses proved as best biocontrol agent, which specifically lyse the host bacterial cells. In view of the global emergence of multidrug resistant strains of bacteria, rapidly developing antibiotic resistance in animals and humans, and the increasing food safety concerns like residual toxic effects of antibiotics in meat and meat by-products there is a strong requirement of a powerful viable alternative for disease prevention and control like the bacteriophages. The present book contains an overview of bacteriophages and their therapeutic applications, describes methodologies regarding their isolation, detection, characterization and clinical evaluation against antibiotic unresponsive wound infections in animals (cattle, dogs, goats). Interestingly, the results obtained with cocktail of bacteriophages were highly encouraging with phage therapy found to be cent-percent effective in treating wound infections. Therefore, the therapeutic dimensions of this promising novel therapy need to be explored and popularized much, for which this book written and compiled by expert scientists will serve as an useful element.