Bacteria-eating viruses found that fight C. diff 'superbugs'

A dead, burst open cell is pictured here with phages escaping. These phages can then repeat the process on other cells. Credit: Samples from Dr. Martha Clokie taken by Stefan Hyman, School of Biological Sciences, University of Leicester.                                                                       by Marie Ellis:
A potential new victory in the war against antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" lies in the discovery of specific viruses that eat bacteria - called bacteriophages. Researchers in the UK have isolated certain phages, which have been shown to target the infectious hospital bug Clostridium difficile.
C. diff, as the superbug is known, is responsible for 250,000 infections in the US each year and results in 14,000 deaths, the researchers say.
Causing excess medical costs of $1 billion each year, finding a solution to this problem is one of both medical and economic importance.
Dr. Martha Clokie, from the University of Leicester's Department of Infection, Immunity and Infection, has been studying how naturally occurring bacteriophages - which means "eaters of bacteria" - could serve as an alternative to antibiotics...Continue reading...