Application of bacteriophages to control Salmonella Enteritidis in raw eggs

Salmonella, a bacterial genus of more than 2500 serotypes is considered as the most significant foodborne pathogen causing infections in humans and animals. Increased antimicrobial resistance and persistence of antimicrobial residues in food matrices warrants the need for alternative infection management strategies.

The present study aimed to isolate and evaluate the lytic activity of bacteriophage against Salmonella.

Twenty-eight Salmonella isolates obtained from the poultry sources were screened for antibiotic sensitivity. Poultry slaughterhouse wastewater was used for the isolation of phage. Host range and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) are vital tools used for differentiating the phage.

The isolates showed a high degree of resistance to nalidixic acid (71%), tetracycline (71%), nitrofurantoin (50%), and ampicillin (43%). Five lytic phages are specific for Salmonella spp. were isolated and characterized by RAPD. In the colony forming unit (CFU) reduction assay, the highest activity of phage was observed at 0.01 multiplicity of infection (MOI) within 2 h after the addition of phage. PSE5 at 0.01 MOI was administered to Salmonella Enteritidis seeded on the surface of the chicken egg by immersion method. The results indicated that administration of phage reduced recoverable Salmonella by 2 × 106 CFU/ml relative to the phage-excluded control.

The results presented here suggested the application of the bacteriophage treatment has the potential to be used as an alternative strategy to prevent Salmonella infection in poultry farms to prevent vertical transmission of the pathogen.