Guntur doctors cure drug-resistant bone infection with phage therapy

Doctors at SHRI Hospital, Guntur, have successfully treated a 72-year-old woman from Bapatla suffering from a chronic, multidrug-resistant bone and joint infection. The patient had battled Acinetobacter baumannii for six months — resistant to all available antibiotics — before being admitted in critical condition in January.

Led by Dr K. Kalyan Chakravarthy, specialist in sepsis and infectious diseases, in collaboration with Prof. Gopal Nath of Banaras Hindu University, the team used bacteriophage therapy — viruses that target bacteria — assisted by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Raviteja Y. and anaesthetist Dr Ramakrishna K. The patient has had no recurrence in the past six months. Once common before antibiotics, phage therapy is regaining attention amid rising antimicrobial resistance. Properly purified, bacteriophages are considered safe and are being used worldwide under “compassionate use” protocols for stubborn infections. Clinical trials are under way in the UK, U.S., and Europe.