A Biocontrol Option to Control a Foodborne Pathogen; Using Campylobacter Bacteriophages to Control Campylobacter in Poultry

Abstract

Campylobacter is a leading cause of foodborne illnesses both in Australia and internationally, and is frequently found in poultry. There is a need for sustainable options to support current farm management strategies that address food-safety. The use of bacteriophages provides a safe biocontrol option. A collaborative study by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QLD), the University of Nottingham (UK) and the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (NZ) is focused on the control of Campylobacter in broiler chickens. Campylobacter bacteriophages were sourced from Queensland poultry farms and following extensive screening, suitable candidates to be used in cocktails were identified. This followed an on-farm proof of concept study on a small sample of chickens, using selected cocktail candidates, to provide an understanding of the hurdles for practical application. The trial demonstrated a 2-log CFU/g reduction of Campylobacter in the caeca of treated birds compared to non-treated (p < 0.05). Another important finding of this study was the absence of bacteriophage resistance, a concern with phage therapy. Work at ESR has addressed approaches to select and adapt bacteriophage cocktails to particular hosts, which included screening against NZ and Australian hosts. This approach enabled the formulation of high performing bacteriophage cocktails for Australian and international markets. Work in the UK is exploring the understanding of the host-bacteriophage relationships to ensure safety to meet regulatory requirements and support potential scale-up options. In summary, the work in progress via international collaborations is aimed at delivering a safe biocontrol option that can meet both commercial and regulatory needs aiming at controlling on-farm Campylobacter.

Broiler farming practices using new or re-used bedding, inclusive of free-range, have no impact on <i>Campylobacter</i> levels, species diversity, <i>Campylobacter</i> community profiles and <i>Campylobacter</i> bacteriophages

“…This outcome of this study, along with our previous work on an on-farm proof-of-concept study on Campylobacter bacteriophages [55] and a detailed study of Campylobacter bacteriophages [57] [56] , enhance the knowledge base needed for the sustainable adoption of bacteriophage biocontrol by elucidating on-farm Campylobacter dynamics. Furthermore, the outcomes of this study on Campylobacter dynamics support our previous work on Campylobacter and litter practices [9] to provide an informed basis for on-farm risk management and its potential to be supported by Campylobacter bacteriophage biocontrol.…”

“…The bacteriophages that originated from the current study formed the original 19-candidate phage panel from which the cocktails on farm A and B were derived [56] . This work was followed by a detailed analysis of select bacteriophages with a focus on biocontrol [57] .…”