Limited Emergence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Infantis Variants with Reduced Phage Susceptibility in PhagoVet-Treated Broilers

Sandra Sevilla-Navarro, Jennifer Otero, Júlia López-Pérez, Jan Torres-Boncompte, Tiago Prucha, Maarten De Gussem, Daniela Silva, Julia Burgan, Pablo Catalá-Gregori, Pilar Cortés, Montserrat Llagostera

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

1 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Salmonella enterica serovar Infantis (S. Infantis) poses a growing issue in the poultry sector, with phage-based products emerging as a safe and effective control measure. This study investigated the emergence of reduced-phage-susceptibility variants (RPSV) of S. Infantis in PhagoVet-treated broilers, given that RPSV could undermine phage treatment efficacy. The bacteriophages in the PhagoVet product were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), genome sequencing, and infection profiling. Furthermore, two broiler trials were conducted: a challenge group (T1) and a challenge-and-treated group (T2). The S. Infantis infective dose was set at 10 4 and 10 6 colony-forming units (CFUs) per animal, with PhagoVet administration at 10 6 and 10 8 plaque-forming units (PFUs) per animal, in Trials 1 and 2, respectively. The results revealed that the four PhagoVet bacteriophages belonged to different genera. PhagoVet evidenced broad-spectrum efficacy against 271 strains representing 18 Salmonella serovars. In Trial 1, PhagoVet reduced bacterial counts in feces to nearly undetectable levels by day 42, with no RPSV detected. However, in Trial 2, three and five RPSVs were detected in feces and ceca, respectively. Consequently, PhagoVet demonstrated efficacy against S. Infantis in broilers, and the potential impact of RPSV is deemed unlikely to compromise its efficacy.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2352
Number of pages12
JournalAnimals
Volume14
Issue number16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Aug 2024

Keywords

  • PhagoVet
  • Salmonella Infantis
  • bacteriophage
  • broilers
  • reduced phage susceptibility

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Limited Emergence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Infantis Variants with Reduced Phage Susceptibility in PhagoVet-Treated Broilers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this