Salmonella Phage CKT1 Effectively Controls the Vertical Transmission of Salmonella Pullorum in Adult Broiler Breeders

Abstract

Phage therapy is widely being reconsidered as an alternative to antibiotics for the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, including salmonellosis caused by Salmonella. As facultative intracellular parasites, Salmonella could spread by vertical transmission and pose a great threat to both human and animal health; however, whether phage treatment might provide an optional strategy for controlling bacterial vertical infection remains unknown. Herein, we explored the effect of phage therapy on controlling the vertical transmission of Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum biovar Pullorum (S. Pullorum), a poultry pathogen that causes economic losses worldwide due to high mortality and morbidity. A Salmonella phage CKT1 with lysis ability against several S. enterica serovars was isolated and showed that it could inhibit the proliferation of S. Pullorum in vitro efficiently. We then evaluated the effect of phage CKT1 on controlling the vertical transmission of S. Pullorum in an adult broiler breeder model. The results demonstrated that phage CKT1 significantly alleviated hepatic injury and decreased bacterial load in the liver, spleen, heart, ovary, and oviduct of hens, implying that phage CKT1 played an active role in the elimination of Salmonella colonization in adult chickens. Additionally, phage CKT1 enabled a reduction in the Salmonella-specific IgG level in the serum of infected chickens. More importantly, the decrease in the S. Pullorum load on eggshells and in liquid whole eggs revealed that phage CKT1 effectively controlled the vertical transmission of S. Pullorum from hens to laid eggs, indicating the potential ability of phages to control bacterial vertical transmission.

Effect of oral administration of microcin Y on growth performance, intestinal barrier function and gut microbiota of chicks challenged with Salmonella Pullorum

“…In other studies, injection of S . Pullorum CCVC 526 into 22-week-old chickens resulted in its detection in the liver, spleen, and cecum; however, this observation was not made in our experiment which may be attributed to the oral challenge method employed here [ 27 ], but it was not observed in this experiment, which may be related to the oral challenge method selected in this experiment. Different invasion methods of the strain affect its colonization in chickens and produce different infection results.…”

Bacteriophage Therapy in Companion and Farm Animals

“…Recent research addressed the vertical transmission issue. It showed that the oral administration of the single lytic phage CKT1 isolated from farm sewage to S. Gallinarum biovar Pullorum experimentally infected broilers and significantly reduced the bacterial load in the reproductive tract, in the eggs, and on the eggshell, and also diminished Salmonella-specific immunoglobulins G in the serum of the challenged animals [84]. The way in which phages can cross the intestinal barrier and reach the reproductive apparatus is still largely unknown; regardless, this is the first study that proved the potentiality of phage therapy in controlling the vertical transmission of bacterial infection in poultry.…”

Construction and Mechanism Exploration of Highly Efficient System for Bacterial Ghosts Preparation Based on Engineered Phage ID52 Lysis Protein E

“…It not only impairs the pig's digestive system but also diminishes production performance or even causes death [29]. Diseases transmitted vertically by Salmonella continue to pose a substantial threat to both humans and animals [30], constituting a global public health concern. A number of Salmonella vaccines are available, including 9R Strain of Salmonella gallinarum [31], Salenvac vaccine [32], Typhoid vaccine Vi polysaccharide, Avirpo Salmonella Vac E, and so on.…”