Salmonella
colonisation in broiler chickens could be tackled by bacteriophage according to
ground-breaking research to be revealed at the Poultry Science Association
Annual Meeting.
A collaborative
research project by AB Agri and the University of Leicester, centred around the
delivery of bacteriophage – the natural viruses of bacteria – in animal feed.
Tests demonstrate a
low dose of phage reduced the Salmonella count to below detection limits – a
result that could have far-reaching impact in poultry production and food
hygiene.
Professor of
Microbiology at the University of Leicester, Martha R. J. Clokie, said: “This
study offered us an opportunity to further explore one of the exciting emerging
themes in bacterial virus research.
“The results highlight phages as a promising tool to target bacterial
infections in poultry.”
AB Agri’s Director of
Innovation, Nell Masey O’Neill said: “Foodborne diseases, including
Salmonellosis in humans, are a significant world health challenge. According to
the World Health Organisation almost 1 in 10 people fall ill and 33 million of
healthy life years are lost every year. This study shows that phage may be a
useful weapon against this challenge, helping our industry produce safer food.
“Furthermore, our
industry has been responsible by taking growth-promoting antibiotics out of
poultry diets, but that leaves us with gut health challenges. Phages could
offer a potential solution, so we were keen to explore the possibilities with
academic partners at the University of Leicester.”
The research
abstract “Assessing the efficacy of bacteriophage therapy to reduce Salmonella
colonisation in broiler chickens” will be shared at the Poultry Science
Association meeting by Dr Anisha Thanki from Leicester University’s Department
of Genetics and Genome Biology.
AB Agri is
committed to supporting science and innovation as part of its ambition to help
responsibly feed the world’s growing population.
