Shigella sonnei bio-control in chicken meat by the application of a specific bacteriophage

Shigella sonnei is the main agent associated with shigellosis in developed as well as developing countries. Finding alternative methods to control Shigella transmission (foods, drinking water and person to person contact) seems necessary due to the appearance of multidrug-resistant strains among Shigella spp. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of vB_SsoS-ISF002 phage in bio-controlling of S. sonnei in food products. Changes in the S. sonnei (ATCC 9290) count, as well as the propagation of its specific bacteriophage (vB_SsoS-ISF002), were measured in two trial treatment and prevention phases for a period of 144 hours. The phage (108 PFU/g) was added to raw or cooked chicken breast after (in treatment phase) or before (in prevention phase) inoculation with S. sonnei at 2, 24 or 48 h. vB_SsoS-ISF002 phage was capable to reduce S. sonnei growth by at least two logs of viable in both treatment and prevention phases. It was shown that vB_SflS-ISF001 phage has a high potential to be used as a non-chemical preservative and the bio-controlling agent against S. sonnei contamination in the food industry