Separation and study of the new vB_Mm5 bacteriophage of Morganella morganii

Morganella morganii is typically part of the normal intestinal microflora, but it can sometimes cause nosocomial infections such as meningitis, sepsis, endophthalmitis, arthritis, and others. Managing diseases caused by this bacterium is complicated by its antibiotic resistance, including its natural resistance to fosfomycin. The rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant strains has renewed interest in phage therapy as an alternative treatment. Bacteriophages, viruses that target bacteria, offer many advantages over antibiotics: they are easy and affordable to work with, cause no side effects in patients, and are specific to the target bacteria, thus not harming the normal human microflora. The main goal of this research was to isolate and characterize active bacteriophages against Morganella morganii. Phages were isolated from Mtkvari River wastewater, and genetic analysis and electron microscopy revealed that the phage belongs to the Myoviridae family. The study examined the phage burst size, adsorption, and host range. The research identified vB-Mm5 as a completely new phage, with a unique nucleotide sequence distinct from those in the NCBI database. This phage is characterized by thermolability, a wide range of activity, and species specificity.