ABSTRACT
Bacteriophages—specific kinds of viruses that can only replicate in bacteria—have been discussed in much detail in Chapter 48 (Introduction to Bacteriophages) of this book. The art of using these phages to kill pathogenic microorganisms was first developed early in the last century, but since chemical antibiotics became available in the 1940s, phage therapy has been little used in the West. Today, however, the growing incidence of bacteria that are resistant to most or all available antibiotics is leading to widespread renewed interest in the possibilities of phage therapy. 1–16
