LYTIC ACTIVITIES, PROTEIN PROFILES AND MORPHOLOGICAL-CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW BACTERIOPHAGES ISOLATED FROM CANINE AND HUMAN STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS STRAINS

The lytic activity, protein profile and morphology of five newly isolated phages from canine Staphylococcus aureus strains and one from a human S. aureus strain were compared with those of selected phages in the international phage sets (IPS). Five canine phages lysed 57 (76.0 %) of 75 canine isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from Nigeria at routine test dilution (RTD) while 34 (IPS) phages typed only 31 (41.3 %) strains at RTD or/and 100-RTD. The new human phage lysed 11 (14.7 %) of 75 strains isolated from human diarrhoea. The new phages were readily propagated, specific in activity and stable during storage at 4-degrees-C. Prominent proteins detected by SDS-PAGE indicated similarities between some of the phages but one canine phage was distinctly different, as was its morphology which was an isometric head with a short tail compared to oval heads and long tails which characterized others. IPS phages in the same serologic group had similar protein profiles but no correlation was observed with lytic groups. The use of protein profile and electron micrographs allowed classification of the phages into serogroups. It is concluded that the newly isolated canine phages could be very useful in typing Nigerian canine strains of S. aureus.