Enterococcus faecium Bacteriophage vB_EfaH_163, a New Member of the Herelleviridae Family, Reduces the Mortality Associated with an E. faecium vanR Clinical Isolate in a Galleria mellonella Animal Model

The rise of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria is a major health concern, especially with regard to members of the ESKAPE group, to which vancomycin-resistant (VRE) Enterococcus faecium belongs. Phage therapy has emerged as a novel alternative for the treatment of AMR infections. This, however, relies on the isolation and characterisation of a large collection of phages. This work describes the exploration of human faeces as a source of new E. faecium-infecting phages. Phage vB_EfaH_163 was isolated and characterised at the microbiological, genomic, and functional levels. vB_EfaH_163 phage, a new member of Herelleviridae, subfamily Brockvirinae, has a dsDNA genome of 150,836 bp that does not harbour any virulence factors or antibiotic resistance genes. It infects a wide range of E. faecium strains of different origins, including VRE strains. Interestingly, it can also infect Enterococcus faecalis strains, even some that are linezolid-resistant. Its capacity to control the growth of a clinical VRE isolate was shown in broth culture and in a Galleria mellonella animal model. The discovery and characterisation of vB_EfaH_163 increases the number of phages that might be used therapeutically against AMR bacteria.