Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #182578
Title: USE OF A SPECIFIC BACTERIOPHAGE TREATMENT TO REDUCE SALMONELLA IN POULTRY PRODUCTS

Author
item HIGGINS, J - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item HIGGINS, S - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item GUENTHER, K - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item Huff, William
item Donoghue, Ann - Annie
item DONOGHUE, DAN - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item HARGIS, BILLY - UNIV OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2004
Publication Date: 3/19/2005
Citation: Higgins, J.P., Higgins, S.E., Guenther, K.L., Huff, W.E., Donoghue, A.M., Donoghue, D.J., Hargis, B.M. 2005. Use of a specific bacteriophage treatment to reduce Salmonella in poultry products. Poultry Science. 84:1141-1145.

Interpretive Summary: 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 a single bacteriophage with selected concentrations of SE reduced the frequency of SE recovered as compared with the control rinse water sample. In experiments 3 and 4, broilers carcasses were intentially inoculated with SE, sprayed with selected concentrations of PHL 4, and rinsed for SE enrichment and isolation. Application of phage reduced 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 SE recovery as compared with controls. Sufficient concentrations of an appropriate bacteriophage, or a bacteriophage mixture, can significantly reduce recoverable Salmonella from carcass rinses.

Technical 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 (PHL4) 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, broilers carcasses were intentially 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.