Research progress of bacteriophages in the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection

Abstract:

Currently, many urgent issues in the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) need to be solved. The effectiveness of the prevention and control of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), the effective removal of biofilms, the identification, prevention and control of water-borne pathogens, and the persis-tence of surface disinfection of environmental objects all pose higher requirements for the prevention and control of HAI. Bacteriophages are viruses that invade bacteria, and can also transmit genetic materials that confer biological traits on the host bacteria. The specificity and effectiveness of bacteriophages in reducing MDROs and clearing biofilms make them potentially a new approach to HAI prevention and control. This review summarizes researches related to the application of bacteriophages in HAI prevention and control, including their advantages in combating MDROs and clearing biofilms, as well as their applications in the identification of HAI cases, environmental cle a-ning and disinfection, prevention and control of water-borne transmission, and comprehensive hospital management.