Chicken liver is a potential reservoir of bacteriophages and phage-derived particles containing antibiotic resistance genes

Chicken liver is a potential reservoir of bacteriophages

The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry production has contributed to the development of drug-resistant strains of bacteria that pose a major public health threat.

In a recent study, chicken livers were examined for microbial contamination and the presence of viral particles called phages, which can also carry antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Both bacteria and phages were found in livers from both sanitized and unsterilized chickens, supporting the possibility of ARG transmission through poultry meat.

These findings underscore the importance of responsible antibiotic use in agriculture and thorough cooking and food safety practices to reduce the risk of bacterial infections in consumers.

The authors Pedro Blanco-Picazo, Clara Gómez-Gómez, Sergi Aguiló-Castillo, Dietmar Fernández-Orth, Marta Cerdà-Cuéllar, Maite Muniesa, and Lorena Rodríguez-Rubio published their findings in the article Chicken liver is a potential reservoir of bacteriophages and phage-derived particles containing antibiotic resistance genes on 15 September 2022.

Topics included:

Poultry meat production is one of the most important agri-food industries in the world.
The selective pressure exerted by widespread prophylactic or therapeutic use of antibiotics in intensive chicken farming favours the development of drug resistance in bacterial populations.
Chicken liver, closely connected with the intestinal tract, has been directly involved in food-borne infections and found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, including Campylobacter and Salmonella.
In this study, 74 chicken livers were analysed for microbial indicators and phages containing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Both bacteria and phages were detected in liver tissues.
The presence of phages in chicken liver was confirmed by metagenomic analysis. These findings suggest that phages can translocate from the gut to the liver, which may therefore constitute a potential reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes

Chicken liver is a potential reservoir of bacteriophages and phage-derived particles containing antibiotic resistance genes

Abstract

Poultry meat production is one of the most important agri-food industries in the world.

The selective pressure exerted by widespread prophylactic or therapeutic use of antibiotics in intensive chicken farming favours the development of drug resistance in bacterial populations.

Chicken liver, closely connected with the intestinal tract, has been directly involved in food-borne infections and found to be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, including Campylobacter and Salmonella.

In this study, 74 chicken livers, divided into sterile and non-sterile groups, were analysed, not only for microbial indicators but also for the presence of phages and phage particles containing antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Both bacteria and phages were detected in liver tissues, including those dissected under sterile conditions. The phages were able to infect Escherichia coli and showed a Siphovirus morphology.

The chicken livers contained from 103 to 106 phage particles per g, which carried a range of ARGs (blaTEM , blaCTx-M-1 , sul1, qnrA, armA and tetW) detected by qPCR. The presence of phages in chicken liver, mostly infecting E. coli, was confirmed by metagenomic analysis, although this technique was not sufficiently sensitive to identify ARGs. In addition, ARG-carrying phages were detected in chicken faeces by qPCR in a previous study of the group.

Comparison of the viromes of faeces and liver showed a strong coincidence of species, which suggests that the phages found in the liver originate in faeces.

These findings suggests that phages, like bacteria, can translocate from the gut to the liver, which may therefore constitute a potential reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes.