They have been used for over 90 years as an alternative to antibiotics in the former Soviet Union and Central Europe, as well as in France.
Eden od najgosteje naseljenih virov bakteriofagov in drugih virusov je morska voda, v kateri se nahaja tudi do 9×108 virionov na mililiter; okoli 70 % morskih bakterij je po oceni okuženih s fagi.