Harnessing Bacteriophages to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Infections in Africa: A Comprehensive Review
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Results
2.1. Analysis of Primary Data
2.2. Current State of Bacteriophage Biocontrol of Bacteria in West Africa
2.3. Current State of Bacteriophage Biocontrol of Bacteria in the Rest of the African Continent
2.4. Challenges in Implementing Phage Therapy in Africa
2.4.1. Research and Training Challenges
2.4.2. Institutional and Socio-Economic Challenges
2.4.3. Socio-Cultural Challenges
- Regulatory hurdles: The lack of clear regulatory frameworks for phage therapy in many African countries poses a significant barrier. This makes it difficult to conduct clinical trials and obtain approval for phage-based treatments [45].
- Infrastructure limitations: Limited laboratory infrastructure and resources hinder the isolation, characterization, and production of bacteriophages. This challenge is particularly pronounced in resource-poor settings [36].
- Standardization issues: The high specificity and variability of bacteriophages require standardized protocols for their use in therapy. However, the lack of standardized research methodologies and quality control measures complicates the development and implementation of phage therapy [46].
- Public awareness and acceptance: There is a general lack of awareness and understanding of phage therapy among healthcare providers and the public. This can lead to resistance to adopting phage therapy as a viable treatment option [47].
- Funding constraints: Limited funding for research and development of phage therapy is a major obstacle. Most research initiatives are reliant on external funding, which can be inconsistent and insufficient [48].
2.5. Opportunities for Integrating Phage Therapy
3. Methods
3.1. Search Method and Selection Criteria
3.2. Inclusion Criteria
3.3. Exclusion Criteria
3.4. Screening and Selection of Studies
3.5. Data Extraction
4. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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N° | Countries | Years | Samples | Bacteria Host for Phage | Title of the study | Phage Family | Authors |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Benin | 2023 | Hospital wastewater | Acinetobacter baumannii | Isolation and characterization of three novel Acinetobacter baumannii phages from Beninese hospital wastewater | Autographiviridae | [18] |
2. | 2022 | Sewage and surface water | Bacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Xanthomonas sp. | Nigerian phages: The first bacteriophages from Tropical Africa | Myoviridae, Siphoviridae or Podoviridae | [19] | |
3. | Effluent water | Escherichia coli O157:H7 | Identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Characterization, and Host Range Analysis of Bacteriophages Infecting Some Selected Pathogenic Bacteria from Jos, Nigeria | - | [20] | ||
4. | 2023 | Poultry | ESBL-E. coli | Antibiotic resistance genes, mobile elements, virulence genes, and phages in cultivated ESBL-producing Escherichia coli of poultry origin in Kwara State, North Central Nigeria | Myoviridae Siphoviridae Inoviridae and Podoviridae | [21] | |
5. | 2022 | Wastewater | Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phages from Wastewaters | - | [22] | |
6. | 2022 | Wastewater | Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 | Isolation of Escherichia coli phages from wastewater | - | [23] | |
7. | Ivory Coast | 2021 | Wastewater | E. coli, Enterobacter cloacae | Investigation of phages infecting E. coli and Enterobacter cloacae in sewage | - | [12] |
8. | 2017 | Water and fishes | P. aeruginosa, Enterobacter aerogenes, K. pneumoniae, and E. coli | New identification of phages and their application for multidrug strains in Abidjan | - | [24] | |
9. | 2020 | Water | P. aeruginosa | Biocontrol of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa infection by phages in aquaculture | - | [25] | |
10. | 2020 | Rodent intestines | E. coli | First novel phages from rodents with lytic activity on clinical Enterobacterales strains | Myoviridae | [26] | |
11. | 2023 | Lake water | E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and E. cloacae | Multiple adaptations of bacteriophages in Lagoon Ebrie: Indicators of permanence microbiological pollution in the environment, Ivory Coast, West Africa | - | [24] | |
12. | Ghana | 2020 | Irrigation ponds and streams | Shiga toxin-producing E. coli | Application of phage cocktail for control of shiga toxin-producing E. coli in foods and food contact surfaces | - | [15] |
13. | Senegal | 2024 | Sewage water | Klebsiella pneumoniae | Complete genome sequences of two Klebsiella pneumoniae phages from Dakar | - | [27] |
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Fabiyi, K.; Sintondji, K.; Agbankpe, J.; Assogba, P.; Koudokpon, H.; Lègba, B.; Gbotche, E.; Baba-Moussa, L.; Dougnon, V. Harnessing Bacteriophages to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Infections in Africa: A Comprehensive Review. Antibiotics 2024, 13, 795. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13090795
Fabiyi K, Sintondji K, Agbankpe J, Assogba P, Koudokpon H, Lègba B, Gbotche E, Baba-Moussa L, Dougnon V. Harnessing Bacteriophages to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Infections in Africa: A Comprehensive Review. Antibiotics. 2024; 13(9):795. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13090795
Chicago/Turabian StyleFabiyi, Kafayath, Kevin Sintondji, Jerrold Agbankpe, Phenix Assogba, Hornel Koudokpon, Boris Lègba, Elodie Gbotche, Lamine Baba-Moussa, and Victorien Dougnon. 2024. "Harnessing Bacteriophages to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Infections in Africa: A Comprehensive Review" Antibiotics 13, no. 9: 795. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13090795