Phagovet

Bacteriophage cocktail – Salmonella

Research into bacteriophages, viruses that infect and replicate in bacteria, has seen an upsurge in recent years as a potential solution to antibiotic resistance.

A new study is now investigating their effectiveness in combating biofilms formed by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) in poultry houses. S. Enteritidis is a common contaminant of poultry products, and its ability to form biofilms on processing surfaces can lead to transmission of Salmonella to humans. In this study, researchers tested the use of three previously sequenced phages and a phage cocktail on two strains of S. Enteritidis in vitro. The results showed that bacteriophage treatment significantly reduced biofilm formation on both a 96-well microplate and stainless steel surfaces.

These results suggest that bacteriophage cocktails may be an effective means of controlling Salmonella biofilms in poultry farms. However, more research is needed to fully understand their potential as a food safety and public health tool.

This article, Bacteriophage cocktail can effectively control Salmonella biofilm in poultry housing, was published on 29 June 2022 by the authors Paweł Korzeniowski, Paulina Śliwka, Maciej Kuczkowski, Dušan Mišić, Agata Milcarz, and Marta Kuźmińska-Bajor.

Topics included: 

  • Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a major contaminant of poultry products, and its ability to form biofilms on produced food and poultry farm processing surfaces contributes to Salmonella transmission to humans.
  • Bacteriophages have come under increasing interest for anti-Salmonella biofilm control.
  • In this study, we used the three previously sequenced and described phages UPWr_S1, UPWr_S3, and UPWr_S4 and a phage cocktail, UPWr_S134, containing these three phages to degrade biofilms formed by two S. Enteritidis strains in vitro.
  • It was found that treatment with bacteriophages significantly reduced biofilm on a 96-well microplate (32-69%) and a stainless steel surface (52-98%) formed by S. Enteritidis 327 lux; the reduction of biofilm formed by S. Enteritidis ATCC 13076 in the 96-well microplate and on a stainless steel surface for bacteriophage treatment was in the range of 73-87%and 60-97%, respectively.
Bacteriophage cocktail can effectively control Salmonella biofilm in poultry housing

Abstract

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is the major contaminant of poultry products, and its ability to form biofilms on produced food and poultry farm processing surfaces contributes to Salmonella transmission to humans.

Bacteriophages have come under increasing interest for anti-Salmonella biofilm control.

In this study, we used the three previously sequenced and described phages UPWr_S1, UPWr_S3, and UPWr_S4 and a phage cocktail, UPWr_S134, containing these three phages to degrade biofilms formed by two S. Enteritidis strains, 327 lux and ATCC 13076, in vitro.

It was found that treatment with bacteriophages significantly reduced biofilm on a 96-well microplate (32-69%) and a stainless steel surface (52-98%) formed by S. Enteritidis 327 lux. The reduction of biofilm formed by S. Enteritidis ATCC 13076 in the 96-well microplate and on a stainless steel surface for bacteriophage treatment was in the range of 73-87% and 60-97%, respectively.

Under laboratory conditions, an experimental model utilizing poultry drinkers artificially contaminated with S. Enteritidis 327 lux and treated with UPWr_S134 phage cocktail was applied.

In in vitro trials, the phage cocktail significantly decreased the number of Salmonella on the surface of poultry drinkers. Moreover, the phage cocktail completely eradicated Salmonella from the abundant bacterial load on poultry drinkers in an experimentally infected chickens.

Therefore, the UPWr_S134 phage cocktail is a promising candidate for Salmonella biocontrol at the farm level.

Keywords: Salmonella Enteritidis; bacteriophage; biocontrol; biofilm; phage cocktail; poultry.

Copyright © 2022 Korzeniowski, Śliwka, Kuczkowski, Mišić, Milcarz and Kuźmińska-Bajor.