
09/18/2024
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐:
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
In the 14th century the โBlack Deathโ or plague, caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, killed more than 50 million people. In modern times, sporadic or seasonal outbreaks occur in endemic areas, including rural areas of the U.S. Plague can have a 30 to 100% mortality rate, and while certain antibiotics are effective against it, antibiotic-resistant strains can occur.
Here, in a NIAID-funded study, Intralytix (led by Dr. Alexander 'Sandro' Sulakvelidze) in collaboration with Dr. Ashok Chopra at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, TX demonstrate that phages targeting Y. pestis provide strong post-exposure protection against lethal infection in rats.
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.00942-24
This is yet another example of how phage-based antimicrobials can have significant implications for managing bacterial infections of public health concern!