Despite past beliefs, the researchers from Rockefeller University claim that sometimes not the streptococcus bacteria are responsible for causing strep throat, but a type of bacteriophage, or "bacteria eating" virus. Although bacteriophages were considered to be un-infectious to humans, the findings of recent medical research indicate otherwise. Medical scientists believe that certain bacteriophages can cause diseases such as strep throat by producing mutations to bacteria and transferring various toxins between such organisms.
The implication of bacteriophages in the occurrence of strep throat may explain why most persons who present signs of Group A hemolytic streptococcus bacteria at throat culture testing don't experience any symptoms at all, while others not only develop strep throat, but also various complications such as tonsillitis, sinusitis or otitis.
Bacteriophages may be responsible for causing a wide range of bacterial diseases characterized by unusual activity of common benign bacteria (ulcer for instance is characterized by malignant activity of E coli bacteria, organism that is an important part of the human intestinal bacterial flora, which has the role to actually protect against dangerous intruding bacteria). By taking a closer look to these intriguing "bacteria eating" viral agents, medical scientists may soon find an efficient cure for various diseases that involve malignant behavior of otherwise harmless bacteria.
Concerning strep throat, medical scientists believe that a type of toxin-producing bacteriophage carries a toxin gene present in its genome to Group A hemolytic streptococcus bacteria, transforming this otherwise neutral organism into a threatening microbe. The process through which the bacteriophage transforms the neutral organism into a disease-causing microbe is known as lysogenic conversion. Inside the human body, this process is accelerated and facilitated by a factor in the saliva referred to as SPIF (soluble phage inducing factor). SPIF has been identified to mobilize the bacteriophage, which enters in lysogenic conversion with streptococcus bacteria, thus causing strep throat.
A series of experiments conducted on mice have revealed that virtually any bacterium carrying a toxin-encoded bacteriophage can transform non-toxigenic organisms inside the body into toxigenic infectious agents. According to the findings, non-infectious bacteria can become toxigenic by entering in contact with organisms carrying toxin-encoded bacteriophages. The studies suggest that the treatment of strep throat and various other infectious diseases that involve lysogenic conversion between bacteriophages and non-toxigenic bacteria should be aimed not only at controlling the causative microbe (in the case of strep throat Group A hemolytic streptococcus bacteria), but also the bacteriophages that facilitate the occurrence of the infection.
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