37-2 |
Bacteriophage research at USDA: An alternative to antibiotics? |
W. E. HUFF, G. R. Huff, N. C. Rath, J. M. Balog, and A. M. Donoghue. Poultry Production & Product Safety Research Unit, USDA-ARS-Southern Plains Area, Univ. of Arkansas, 304 Poultry Science Ctr., Fayetteville, AR 72701 Research on the use of bacteriophage as a weapon in our continuing war with bacteria is currently being conducted at various locations within the Agricultural Research Service. The work includes isolation and evaluation of bacteriophage to control Agrobacterium tumefaciens which causes crown gall in walnuts, Salmonella contamination on fresh cut fruits and vegetables, E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes contamination of meat, and E. coli respiratory infections in poultry. In our research we have been able to isolate a number of bacteriophage from municipal sewer treatment plants and poultry processing plants to an E. coli (Serotype O2) that is pathogenic to poultry. We have been able to demonstrate that mixing the E. coli with the bacteriophage prior to challenging the birds provides complete protection from this lethal infection. We have also demonstrated that an aerosol spray of bacteriophage given just prior to challenging the birds provides excellent protection to the birds, with protective efficacy that can be extended for up to 3 days after the birds are sprayed with the bacteriophage. Efforts to use bacteriophage to treat an ongoing infection have demonstrated that an intramuscular injection is an effective treatment of this serious E. coli respiratory infection even when administered 48 hours after the birds are challenged. All of our research to date strongly suggests that if we can deliver adequate numbers of bacteriophage to the site of infection, the bacteriophage can be used to both prevent and treat bacterial infections. This research clearly indicates that bacteriophage can be an effective alternative to the use of antibiotics to prevent and treat animal diseases, and should have efficacy to decrease food borne pathogens on animal products.
Session 37, Phage therapy as it applies to food public health bacteriology
|