New method of treating bacterial infections uses viruses to kill them [Video]

It’s being called a “Hail Mary” for a Calgary man who suffers chronic pain – and so far, it seems to be working.

Boyd English is the first patient in Western Canada to have the pain in his hip treated with bacteriophages.

That’s using viruses to kill bacteria.

English broke his hip in 1973 and got a hip replacement.

After a ranching injury and another surgery in 2013, he started to experience chronic pain.

The recurring infection caused English’s mobility to be severely restricted. He was forced to spend 16-18 hours a day in bed and has been in constant pain.

He’s also had multiple surgeries to have the infected tissue cleared away and “washed out” with antibiotics, but these efforts only offered temporary relief.

According to a media release issued by Alberta Health Services on Thursday, antibiotics act like a blanket neutralizer on bacteria, while bacteriophages are more like assassins that target the bacteria.

They …