Phagovet

Review from basics to omics on bacteriophage applications in poultry

As the human population continues to grow, demand for food has never been higher.

Many see poultry as a successful and fast-growing industry that can help meet this challenge. However, poultry health and safety remains a pressing concern. Bacterial diseases such as colibacillosis and salmonellosis are becoming more prevalent in production. In addition, undercooked poultry products contaminated with bacterial zoonotic agents such as Salmonella and Campylobacter pose a serious public health threat.

With increasing concerns about antimicrobial resistance and restrictions on antibiotic use in food-producing animals, bacteriophages are becoming an attractive alternative for controlling these bacteria in poultry production. These viruses specifically target harmful bacteria and leave beneficial microorganisms untouched.

The purpose of this review is to examine the potential of using lytic bacteriophages to reduce the risk of bacterial pathogens associated with poultry. This study also examines the challenges faced by the industry in adopting this technology. In addition, the implications of omics approaches to the study of bacteriophages, their host interactions, and applications are discussed.

The authors Md Rashedul Islam, Carlos E Martinez-Soto, Janet T Lin, Cezar M Khursigara, Shai Barbut, and Hany Anany published the article A systematic review from basics to omics on bacteriophage applications in poultry production and processing on 5 October 2021.

Key topics include:

  • The human population is facing a challenge on global food production and sustainability.
  • Poultry health and safety remain major issues that entail immediate attention.
  • Bacterial diseases including colibacillosis, salmonellosis, and necrotic enteritis have become increasingly prevalent during poultry production.
  • Outbreaks caused by consumption of undercooked poultry products contaminated with zoonotic bacterial pathogens are a serious public health concern.
  • With antimicrobial resistance problem and restricted use of antibiotics in food producing animals, bacteriophages are increasingly recognized as an attractive natural antibacterial alternative.
  • Bacteriophages have recently shown promising results to treat diseases in poultry, reduce contamination of carcasses, and enhance the safety of poultry products.
Review from basics to omics on bacteriophage applications in poultry production and processing

Abstract

The growing human population is currently facing an unprecedented challenge on global food production and sustainability.

Despite recognizing poultry as one of the most successful and rapidly growing food industries to address this challenge; poultry health and safety remain major issues that entail immediate attention.

Bacterial diseases including colibacillosis, salmonellosis, and necrotic enteritis have become increasingly prevalent during poultry production. Likewise, outbreaks caused by consumption of undercooked poultry products contaminated with zoonotic bacterial pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and Listeria, are a serious public health concern.

With antimicrobial resistance problem and restricted use of antibiotics in food producing animals, bacteriophages are increasingly recognized as an attractive natural antibacterial alternative.

Bacteriophages have recently shown promising results to treat diseases in poultry, reduce contamination of carcasses, and enhance the safety of poultry products.

Omics technologies have been successfully employed to accurately characterize bacteriophages and their genes/proteins important for interaction with bacterial hosts.

In this review, the potential of using lytic bacteriophages to mitigate the risk of major poultry-associated bacterial pathogens are explored. This study also explores challenges associated with the adoption of this technology by industries. Furthermore, the impact of omics approaches on studying bacteriophages, their host interaction and applications is discussed.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; bacteriophage; biocontrol; pathogenic bacteria; poultry safety; viral metagenomics.

Copyright: the authors.