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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fayetteville, Arkansas » Poultry Production and Product Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #219616
Title: Use of wide-host-range bacteriophages to reduce Salmonella on poultry products

Author
item BIELKE, LISA - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item HIGGINS, STACY - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item Donoghue, Ann - Annie
item DONOGHUE, DAN - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item HARGIS, BILLY - UNIV OF ARKANSAS
item TELLEZ, G - UNIV OF ARKANSAS

Submitted to: International Journal of Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/31/2007
Publication Date: 11/1/2007
Citation: Bielke, L.R., Higgins, S., Donoghue, A.M., Donoghue, D.J., Hargis, B.M., Tellez, G.I. 2007. Use of wide-host-range bacteriophages to reduce Salmonella on poultry products. International Journal of Poultry Science. 6(10):754-757.

Interpretive Summary: Bacteriophages used to treat infections are typically amplified in a pathogenic host. However, this practice introduces the risk of administering any remaining bacteriophage-resistant pathogen during bacteriophage application if separate techniques are less than perfect. In this study, bacteriophage isolates capable of replicating in both Salmonella and Klebsilla oxytoca were identified and applied to poultry carcasses. These Wide-Host-Range bacteriophages (WHR) were amplified using the nonpathogenic bacteria Klebsiella oxytoca in tryptic soy. WHR and Klebsiella oxytoca were not separated prior to treatment of carcasses. Fresh processed chicken carcasses were inoculated with either Salmonella enteritidis (SE) or S. typhimurium (ST), sprayed with WHR and rinsed with sterile water. Samples were enriched, plated on agar and evaluated for Salmonella typical colonies. In four separate trials WHR significantly reduced the recovery of SE. No SE was detected in two trials and a greater than 70% reduction was seen in the other two trials. ST was also significantly reduced in the two trials in which it was included. These experiments suggest that WHR could be an inexpensive and safe method for the reduction of Salmonella on broiler carcasses.

Technical Abstract: Bacteriophages used to treat infections are typically amplified in a pathogenic host. However, this practice introduces the risk of administering any remaining bacteriophage-resistant pathogen during bacteriophage application if separate techniques are less than perfect. In this study, bacteriophage isolates capable of replicating in both Salmonella and Klebsilla oxytoca were identified and applied to poultry carcasses. These Wide-Host-Range bacteriophages (WHR) were amplified using the nonpathogenic bacteria Klebsiella oxytoca in tryptic soy. WHR and Klebsiella oxytoca were not separated prior to treatment of carcasses. Fresh processed chicken carcasses were inoculated with either Salmonella enteritidis (SE) or S. typhimurium (ST), sprayed with 5ml of WHR and rinsed with sterile water. Samples were enriched, plated on XLD agar and evaluated for Salmonella typical colonies. In four separate trials WHR significantly reduced the recovery of SE. No SE was detected in two trials and a greater than 70% reduction was seen in the other two trials. ST was also significantly reduced in the two trials in which it was included. These experiments suggest that WHR could be an inexpensive and safe method for the reduction of Salmonella on broiler carcasses.