AMB Volume 42, Issue 3, 2026 Pages 431-435 https://doi.org/10.59393/amb26420305
Phage Susceptibility Testing Alongside Standard Antibiogram of Clinical Escherichia coli Isolates
Kalvatchev N., Tsekov I., Strateva T.
The present work proposes an approach for parallel visualization and evaluation of phage and antibiotic susceptibility in clinical isolates in a single Petri dish, applicable to Escherichia coli and other bacteria, in light of the growing need to implement alternative antimicrobial strategies in the context of the “silent” pandemic “Antimicrobial Resistance”. The method allows simultaneous and comparative reading of the zones of complete or partial lysis, induced by commercial phage preparations (bacteriophages), and the zones of bacterial inhibition caused by antibiotic discs. Results show that direct droplet application and freshly impregnated discs successfully identify lytic activity within 18 hours, offering a rapid, cost-effective diagnostic tool. Such an algorithm provides an easily accessible and accurate assessment of the therapeutic potential of bacteriophages alongside the antibiotic resistance of clinical isolates. The method can be successfully implemented in medical laboratories to guide personalized and combined antimicrobial and phage therapies.
Keywords: phage therapy, bacteriophages, phage susceptibility, antibiogram
View Full Article