STUDYING THE BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF BACTERIOPHAGES AGAINST ESKAPE PATHOGENS

Bacterial infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains are among the most dangerous threats to global public health. The highest number of resistance cases is detected among the so-called ESKAPE pathogens (from the initials of Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.). These bacteria cause life-threatening nosocomial infections, especially in individuals with weakened immune systems and chronic diseases. The article discusses the rationale for phage therapy, clinical problems, and proposes phage therapy as an effective means against ESKAPE pathogens. It characterizes some of their biological properties (effect of high temperature, resistance to chloroform exposure, and the impact of pH changes on bacteriophage activity). High temperature was studied as a physical factor, and chloroform exposure as a chemical factor affecting bacteriophages. The study found that heating phages for 30 minutes at 60°C did not affect their activity. They maintained activity within a pH range of 7.0 to 7.5 and were resistant to chloroform exposure for 40 minutes. It should be noted that the alkaline environment of the buffer solution slightly affected the activity of the studied bacteriophages, while the acidic environment had a more significant impact on reducing their infectivity.