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Tuesday, 08 November 2005 11:01

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MRSA could be history within ten years

Strathclyde University researchers have revealed that hospital superbugs could be wiped out within ten years by viruses that are harmless to humans.

A team led by DR Mike Mattey developed the technique for killing bugs without using antibiotics. Instead, they use bacteriophages – viruses that kill the bacteria – in normal cleaning products.

Bacteriophages are found in normal seawater and remain dormant until they come into contact with bacteria such as the MRSA bug.

They are known to be harmless to humans but will still be subject to a regulatory process that will mean it is three years before they are available for use on wards.

Dr Mattey, who was yesterday at a meeting of the Federation of Infection Societies in Cardiff to promote the system, told The Scotsman: "With this strategy, we can resolve all these antibiotic-resistant bacteria problems. We cannot cure it completely, but we can control it."

Antibiotics can be ineffective at killing hospital bugs because bacteria reproduce at such a rate that resistant strains quickly develop.

However, there are a similar number of bacteriophages as there are bacteria and these can be used in cases where the bacteria are known to be resistant to antibiotics.

Dr Mattey said: "General cleaning remains crucial in tackling infection but selective targeting of particularly problematic bacteria such as MRSA is needed as well.

"Our model demonstrates that this could be achieved cost-effectively by incorporating modified bacteriophages into day-to-day cleaning materials."

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