Use of a specific bacteriophage treatment to reduce Salmonella in poultry products

Abstract

Bacteriophages represent a group of viruses that specifically infect and replicate in bacteria and could potentially be used to reduce recovery of Salmonella from poultry carcasses. Bacteriophages were isolated from municipal wastewater in the presence of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 13A (SE). In the first 2 experiments, commercially processed broiler carcass rinse water was pooled and divided. The addition of 10(10) pfu/mL of a single bacteriophage (PHL 4) with selected concentrations of SE reduced (P < 0.05) frequency of SE recovered as compared with the control rinse water sample. In experiments 3 and 4, broiler carcasses were intentionally inoculated with SE, sprayed with selected concentrations of PHL 4, and rinsed for SE enrichment and isolation. Application of 5.5 mL of 10(8) or 10(10) pfu/mL of PHL 4 reduced (P < 0.05) the frequency of SE recovery as compared with controls. In experiments 5 and 6, commercially processed turkeys were rinsed with water containing 72 wild-type bacteriophages isolated against SE, which were amplified in SE, or the Salmonella isolated antemortem from drag swabs from the flock selected for in-plant treatment, or a combination of bacteriophages amplified by each bacterial host. All bacteriophage treatments reduced (P < 0.05) frequency of Salmonella recovery as compared with controls. Sufficient concentrations of an appropriate bacteriophage, or a bacteriophage mixture, can significantly reduce recoverable Salmonella from carcass rinses.

Phage-resistance of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and pathogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans is mediated by the lipopolysaccharide

“…An approach to the control of S. Enteritidis is the use of bacteriophages, which have proven of value in the curtailment of S. Enteritidis infection in Cheddar cheese (Modi et al 2001), vegetables (Leverentz et al 2001), poultry products (Higgins et al 2005) and the skin of chickens (Goode et al 2003). In this latter context, we have recently isolated and described three dsDNA phages that lyse S. Enteritidis in vitro and additional variants of these phages that lyse S. Pullorum (Santander and Robeson, 2002).…”

Phages as Therapeutic Tools to Control Major Foodborne Pathogens: Campylobacter and Salmonella

“…The results are promising showing that the cocktail effectively reduced Salmonella recovery from the contaminated carcasses. These studies suggest that a high concentration of phage, preferably a cocktail of different phages, should be used to efficiently treat carcasses contaminated with Salmonella (Higgins et al, 2005).…”

“…The effectiveness of phages to control Salmonella in carcasses of broiler chickens and turkeys was tested by Higgins et al (2005). In this study, 10 6 PFU of a phage applied to carcasses was deemed to be inefficient in the removal of S. Enteritidis at levels below 10 3 .…”

“…Reduction of up to 93% reduction in Salmonella recovery (Higgins et al, 2005) raw and cooked meat Reduction of more than 5.9 log 10 CFU on raw meat (Bigwood et al, 2008) chicken sausages Reduction of up to 2.1 log 10 in the Salmonella levels (Whichard et al, 2003) fresh-cut fruit…”

Phage-based biocontrol strategies to reduce foodborne pathogens in foods

“…[5][6][7][8][9] Phage therapy has been investigated for efficacy in red meat producing animals (cattle, sheep, swine) and white meat producing animals (poultry). Several studies have investigated the use of phages either alone, or in a cocktail, to control foodborne pathogens in sheep and cattle.…”