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.

Effective reduction of Salmonella Enteritidis in broiler chickens using the UPWr_S134 phage cocktail

“…However, to state unequivocally that phages are safe and could be ordinarily applied in poultry-intensive production it is necessary to collect data from many multifaceted studies to assess the hallmark of the Salmonella -targeting phages’ activity. Previously, we isolated and characterized five phages infecting different Salmonella serovars ( Kuźmińska-Bajor et al, 2021 ) and we confirmed the UPWr_S134 phage cocktail’s ability to eliminate S. Enteritidis from abundant multispecies biofilm formed on the poultry drinkers’ surface in an in vivo chicken model ( Korzeniowski et al, 2022 ). In order to test the suitability of the phage cocktail for use on the farm, it is important to define the method of administration to the chickens taking into account resistance to adverse environmental conditions and financial costs.…”

“…In silico analysis showed that all gene products of these phages had no relevance to any known virulence, toxin, or pathogen-associated protein family or gene products of Salmonella strains or any other pathogens. Due to the characteristics of these phages, including their activity against different serovars, as well as great antibiofilm potential ( Korzeniowski et al, 2022 ), they were considered a promising tool in combating Salmonella and hence were chosen to conduct in vivo phage efficacy experiments in mice and chickens. The amplification of UPWr_S1, UPWr_S3 and UPWr_S4 phages was performed on the S. Enteritidis A28 host strain.…”

Phages and engineered lysins as an effective tool to combat Gram‐negative foodborne pathogens

“…Korzeniowski et al. (2022) also showed eradication of Salmonella biofilms formed in 96‐well microtiter plates and on stainless steel surfaces with an effectiveness of up to 87% and 98%, respectively. Moreover, three‐phage cocktail UPWr_S134 was shown to eliminate S .…”

“…It was shown that the application of the phage cocktail resulted in a reduction in the mass of the microplate biofilms in the range of 44%−63% and in the bacterial count on stainless steel surfaces in the range of 5.23-6.42 log units (Islam et al, 2019). Korzeniowski et al (2022) also showed eradication of Salmonella biofilms formed in 96-well microtiter plates and on stainless steel surfaces with an effectiveness of up to 87% and 98%, respectively. Moreover, three-phage cocktail UPWr_S134 was shown to eliminate S. Enteritidis from a poultry drinker surface.…”

Advances in enteropathogen control throughout the meat chicken production chain

“…An increasing concern within broiler house environment is that Salmonella and Campylobacter may form biofilms on surfaces and in water and feed lines. Salmonella survival on abiotic surfaces is part of its life cycle with different mechanisms responsible than used in pathogenesis (Korzeniowski et al., 2022). For Campylobacter , biofilm composition is similar to other microbes; however, mechanisms and specific components are still to be fully characterized (Tram et al., 2020).…”