Isolation of a novel polyvalent virulent bacteriophage of E. coli*

ObjectiveTo isolate virulent bacteriophage from environment samples and explore the potential way of decontaminating the environmental wastewater.MethodsThe standard plaque assay, negative staining transmission electron microscopy (TEM), genome extraction and nucleases test were used to isolate bacteriophages. Then its morphology and characteristics were examined.ResultsA novel bacteriophage XY-1 was isolated from a sewage pond in a hospital. It infected and killed 6 E. coli reference strains. The phage had a round head (diameter 40–50 nm), no tail and the genome was ssRNA of approximately 5.0 kb. It was able to reduce E. coli to an extent of 44. 63% to 67. 00% when being added into the samples of different raw sewage water, depending on the contact time, the temperature and the phage dose.ConclusionFrom the morphology typical and nucleotide characteristics (RNA) of the genome of phage, phage XY-1 appears to be closely related to phage f2. It may have some effects for the control of E. coli in sewage water.