ANIHWA call2 - A bacteriophage-based approach to reducing infections caused by antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli

抗生素耐药性是许多引起动物和人类疾病（病原体）的细菌类型中一个显著且日益严重的问题。大肠杆菌是这些病原体中最重要的病原体之一，因为它在肠道、泌尿道和呼吸道疾病以及各种牲畜（包括家禽）的败血症中发挥作用；也因为许多与动物和人类败血症感染有关的大肠杆菌菌株是密切相关的。在世界范围内，大肠杆菌菌株的抗生素耐药性正在增加，即使在减少或停用抗生素后，这种耐药性仍可保持。因此，治疗动物和人类的大肠杆菌感染需要一种新的和可持续的方法。本项目将研究利用噬菌体作为一种生物控制手段来对抗感染鸡的有害大肠杆菌菌株。噬菌体，通常简称为“噬菌体”，是一种感染并杀死细菌的病毒。它们是非常特异性的，只影响目标细菌种类，而不伤害其他细菌群。噬菌体不会感染动物或人类，并广泛分布于环境中。因此，使用噬菌体选择性地杀死感染动物的有害大肠杆菌菌株有可能成为抗生素的天然和可持续替代品，也可能导致人类抗生素耐药细菌感染的新治疗方法。噬菌体治疗的有效应用将需要彻底了解噬菌体-细菌在一系列环境中的相互作用。本项目将通过实验室实验全面了解噬菌体在不同环境条件下如何感染大肠杆菌菌株。这些信息将用于设计方案，以最佳地使用噬菌体疗法来治疗动物感染。

Antibiotic resistance is a significant and increasing problem in many types of bacteria which cause disease (pathogens) in animals and humans. Escherichia coli is among the most important of these pathogens, because of its role in intestinal, urinary tract and respiratory disease, and septicaemia in a variety of livestock species, including poultry; and also because many strains of E. coli that are associated with septicaemic infections in animals and humans are closely related. Antibiotic resistance in E. coli strains is increasing worldwide and this resistance can be maintained even after reducing or withdrawing antibiotic use. As such, the treatment of E. coli infections in animals and humans requires a new and sustainable approach. This project will investigate the use of bacteriophage as a biological control against harmful strains of E. coli which infect chickens. Bacteriophage, often contracted to 'phage', are viruses which infect and kill bacteria. They are quite specific, only affecting the targeted bacterial species while leaving other bacterial flora unharmed. Phages do not infect animals or humans and are widely distributed in the environment. As such, the use of phages to selectively kill harmful strains of E. coli which infect animals has the potential to be a natural and sustainable alternative to antibiotics, and may also result in new treatments for antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in humans. The effective application of phage therapy will require a thorough understanding of phage-bacteria interactions in a range of environments. This project will use laboratory experiments to build a comprehensive understanding of how phages infect E. coli strains under different environmental conditions. This information will then be used to design protocols for the optimal use of phage therapy to treat infections in animals.