Recent Progress in Phage Therapy to Modulate Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Including in Human and Poultry

Acinetobacter baumannii is a multidrug-resistant and invasive pathogen associated with theetiopathology of both an increasing number of nosocomial infections and is of relevance to poultryproduction systems. Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has been reported in connection tosevere challenges to clinical treatment, mostly due to an increased rate of resistance to carbapenems.Amid the possible strategies aiming to reduce the insurgence of antimicrobial resistance, phagetherapy has gained particular importance for the treatment of bacterial infections. This review summarizesthe different phage-therapy approaches currently in use for multiple-drug resistant Acinetobacterbaumannii, including single phage therapy, phage cocktails, phage–antibiotic combinationtherapy, phage-derived enzymes active on Acinetobacter baumannii and some novel technologiesbased on phage interventions. Although phage therapy represents a potential treatment solutionfor multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, further research is needed to unravel some unansweredquestions, especially in regard to its in vivo applications, before possible routine clinical use.