Bacteriophages - Species and purpose

The only effective alternative to the use of antibiotics from pathogenic bacteria to date are phages or bacteriophages. They are specific viruses that selectively affect various types of microbes. Several groups are known to medicine, into which bacteriophages are subdivided - the species and purpose of these microorganisms form the basis for a generally accepted classification.

What are bacteriophages?

There are 19 families of viruses in question. They differ in the type of nucleic acid (RNA or DNA), genome structure and form.

In medical practice, bacteriophages are classified according to the rate of destruction of pathogenic bacteria:

1. Virulent. The virus, getting into the cells of microbes, begins to rapidly and actively multiply, almost instantly leads to the death of bacteria (lytic effect).
2. Moderate. Bacteriophages slowly and only partially destroy the structure of pathogenic microorganisms, but cause irreversible changes in them, which are transmitted to the next generations of microbes (lysogenic effect).

Today, the described types of viruses are used as an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of a variety of bacterial infections. Among their advantages, it is worth noting the following advantages:

1. Convenient form of release. Bacteriophages are produced in tablets and in the form of a solution for oral administration.
2. Fewer side effects. Unlike antibiotics, bacteriophages less often cause allergic manifestations, do not produce secondary negative effects on the body.
3. Lack of microbial resistance. Bacteria are more difficult to adapt to viruses, and complex effects are almost impossible.

There are some disadvantages:

• a longer course of therapy (up to 20 days);
• difficulties with the selection of the right group of drugs;
• transfer of the bacterial genome from one microbe to another.

Types of bacteriophages and their use

Given the specificity of the viruses described, in medicine, polyvalent and complex bacteriophages containing several varieties of these microorganisms are preferred.

Here, what are bacteriophages - list and description:

1. Abdominal. Harmfully affects the pathogens of typhoid fever, salmonella.
2. Dysfag, dysentery polyvalent. Used for bacterial dysentery, causes the death of Shigella Sonne and Flexner.
3. Klebsifag, Klebsiella pneumonia. Helps in the treatment of diseases of the urogenital, digestive, respiratory system, generalized septic pathologies, surgical infections provoked by pneumonia klebsiella .
4. Klebsiellezny polyvalent. It is a complex remedy that destroys Klebsiella not only pneumonia, but also rhinoscleromas, ozena.
5. Colitis, if. Effective in the therapy of any infections of internal organs and skin caused by E. coli enteropathogenic E. coli.
6. Coliproteophage, coliprotein. It adversely affects the enteropathogenic bacteria Proteus and Escherichia. It is intended for the treatment of colpitis, cystitis, colitis, pyelonephritis and other diseases provoked by intestinal rods and prost.
7. Proteophagus, Protean. Causes the death of specific proteus microbes mirabilis and vulgaris, which are the causative agents of purulent inflammatory pathologies of the intestine.
8. Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Lysers the bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosis. It is recommended for dysbiosis, as well as for the treatment of inflammation in various body systems triggered by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
9. Staphylophage, staphylococcus. Rapidly neutralizes staphylococci, which are released as a result of any purulent infections.
10. Streptophagus, streptococcal. Similar in the manner of action to the previous bacteriophage, but is active against streptococci.
11. Intersti. It is a complex preparation lysing salmonella, shigella, E. coli , staphylococcus, enterococci, pseudomonas aeruginosa and proteus.
12. Piopolyphage, combined piobacteriophage. The remedy is similar to the previous species, but it is also effective from streptococci.
13. Sextapage, pyobacteriophagous polyvalent. Additionally kills escherichia coli.
14. Complex piobacteriophage. A mixture of phagolysates of enterococci, streptococci, staphylococci, vulgaris and mirabilis proteasis, klebsiella oxytoca and pneumonia, escherichia coli, pseudomonas aeruginosis.