FIG. 4.

Comparison of phage strains ENB6 and C33, which cannot and can form plaques in vitro on VRE strain CRMEN 19, respectively, with their ability to rescue mice that are bacteremic with CRMEN 19. Groups A and B were healthy mice treated with a single i.p. injection of 9 × 10⁹ PFU of ENB6 and C33, respectively. Groups C and D were treated with 9 × 10⁹ PFU of ENB6 and C33, respectively, 90 min after bacterial infection. Group E was an untreated control, injected i.p. with PBS buffer 90 min after the bacterial challenge instead of phage. Treatment with phage strain C33 resulted in 100% recovery from bacteremia. This recovery rate is significantly better than the survival rates of 20 and 50% for the infected mice treated with ENB6 and with PBS, respectively.