Phage control of Campylobacter jejuni in chickens does not produce collateral effects on the gut microbiota

Richards, Philip J.; Connerton, Phillippa L.; Connerton, Ian F.

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.00476

Phage control of Campylobacter jejuni in chickens does not produce collateral effects on the gut microbiota

Richards, Philip J.; Connerton, Phillippa L.; Connerton, Ian F.

Authors

Philip J. Richards

Phillippa L. Connerton

Professor IAN CONNERTON IAN.CONNERTON@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
NORTHERN FOODS PROFESSOR OF FOOD SAFETY

Abstract

Bacteriophage biocontrol to reduce Campylobacter jejuni levels in chickens can reduce human exposure and disease acquired through the consumption of contaminated poultry products.Investigating changes in the chicken microbiota during phage treatment has not previously been undertaken but is crucial to understanding the system-wide effects of such treatments to establish a sustainable application. A phage cocktail containing two virulent Campylobacter phages was used to treat broiler chickens colonized with C. jejuni HPC5. Campylobacter counts from cecal contents were significantly reduced throughout the experimental period but were most effectivedays post-treatment showing a reduction of 2.4 log10 CFU g-1 19 relative to mock-treated Campylobacter colonized controls. The administered phages replicated in vivo to establish stable populations. Bacteriophage predation of C. jejuni was not found to affect the microbiota structure but selectively reduced the relative abundance of C. jejuni without affecting other bacteria.

Citation

Richards, P. J., Connerton, P. L., & Connerton, I. F. (2019). Phage control of Campylobacter jejuni in chickens does not produce collateral effects on the gut microbiota. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10, Article 476. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00476

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Feb 25, 2019
Online Publication Date	Mar 12, 2019
Publication Date	Mar 12, 2019
Deposit Date	Feb 28, 2019
Publicly Available Date	Feb 28, 2019
Journal	Frontiers in Microbiology
Electronic ISSN	1664-302X
Publisher	Frontiers Media
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	10
Article Number	476
DOI	https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00476
Keywords	Bacteriophage; Campylobacter; Microbiota; Chicken; Biocontrol
Public URL	https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1592528
Publisher URL	https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00476/full
Contract Date	Feb 28, 2019