Woman with infection becomes 1st in SEA treated with virus found in Singapore River
A woman in Singapore suffering from a life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant infection has become the first patient in Southeast Asia to be successfully treated with viruses, one of which was found in the Singapore River.
The patient, identified as Ms A, is a woman in her 30s who underwent a complex heart surgery in January 2024 at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) due to a pre-existing condition.
Following the procedure, she developed a serious infection in her chest cavity and blood, caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of bacteria notorious for its resistance to multiple antibiotics.
Woman develops antibiotic-resistant infection
Despite receiving months of intravenous antibiotics, her infection kept returning, putting her at risk of life-threatening sepsis.
She ended up hospitalised for many months, with antibiotics delivered via an intravenous (IV) drip to battle the infection.
With her options dwindling, doctors gave her two choices:
- Undergo a high-risk surgery to remove the infection
- Stay on lifelong IV antibiotics
Adding to the emotional toll, Ms A had just given birth to her second child before her heart surgery, making her condition even more distressing.
SGH doctors turn to Singapore River virus to save woman’s life
Determined to find an alternative, Dr Jasmine Chung, Senior Consultant at SGH’s Department of Infectious Diseases, and her team turned to an experimental but century-old treatment known as phage therapy.
Source: Dr. Victor Padilla-Sanchez on Wikimedia Commons, for illustration purposes only
Phage therapy involves the administration of bacteriophages, specialised viruses that naturally attack and destroy specific bacteria.
Phages do not harm human cells and can target antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
To find the right phages, SGH researchers screened hundreds of viruses in their lab and even collected new samples from the Singapore River.
Image courtesy of SGH
They tested these phages against Ms A’s bacteria in petri dishes, selecting the most effective ones.
After five months of testing, they developed a three-phage cocktail that worked effectively together with her antibiotics — one of which was taken and isolated from the Singapore River.
Image courtesy of SGH
Phage therapy successfully treated patient
In September 2024, Ms A received a two-week course of phage therapy via an IV drip.
Two months later, her infection was finally under control, allowing her to switch to oral antibiotics instead.
By December 2024, Ms A had recovered significantly, with doctors declaring vast improvements in her quality of life.
“Her need for hospital visits was greatly reduced, and there was vast improvement in quality of life.”
She became the first patient in Southeast Asia to have benefited from phage therapy.
Dr Chung revealed that Ms A said she could go to Sentosa beach with her family and even travel overseas now.
Dr Jasmine Chung (left) & Associate Professor Andrea Kwa
Image courtesy of SGH
Since then, the SGH team has administered phage therapy to two more patients.
Despite its long history, the use of bacteriophages is still considered an experimental medical field.
The team sought approval from the relevant health authorities and received informed consent from the patients before proceeding with the therapy.
“This thorough process ensures patient safety remains paramount, even as we push the boundaries and explore novel treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections.”
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Featured image by MS News and adapted from Dr. Victor Padilla-Sanchez on Wikimedia Commons, for illustration purposes only.
