Isolation and characterization of a phage against the multidrug-resistant Candida albicans ATCC 10231 strain from raw sewage.

The financial cost of resistance to antibiotics is constantly increasing. Viruses are possible substitutes and effective treatments for diseases caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. The aim of the present study is to isolate a Candida albicans virus from raw sewage and characterize it. Herein, direct and enrichment approaches were used for virus isolation from a raw sewage sample collected from the El-Rahmania wastewater treatment plant, El-Behiera Governorate, Egypt. Using a transmission electron microscope, the viral particle was found to have a hexagonal head with a diameter of approximately 160 nm and a short tail with a length of 87 nm. The virus was treated at different temperature ranges (30-90 °C) for 5, 15, 30, and 60 min. The virus titer was stable at 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C for 5-60 min and partially stable at 60 °C, 70 °C, and 80 °C. The virus kept its activity at a wide range between pH 5-10, while it was completely inactivated in highly acidic (pH < 5) and alkaline (pH > 10) conditions. The effect of osmotic shock on the isolated virus showed 64 % survivability. The effects of five organic solvents on viral particles-chloroform, ethanol, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and ethyl acetate-showed 0.7, 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.7 log10 reductions in initial viral titer, respectively. This study provided new information about the characterization of the virus isolated against Candida albicans, which will be useful for future formulation of a successful therapeutic viral agent against Candida albicans.