A new scientific discovery soon could provide an alternative to antibiotics for treating bacterial infections in horses. In the September issue of Nature, microbiologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported that bacteriophages–viruses that infect bacteria–can be genetically engineered to seek out and destroy specific types of disease-causing bacteria.

At a time when antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming increasingly common and tougher to treat, the discovery is welcome news to veterinarians and horse owners. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, virtually all disease-causing bacteria in the world are becoming resistant to the antibiotic treatment of choice