Isolation, identification and some characteristics of two lytic bacteriophages against Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium from various food sources

Salmonellosis is an important worldwide food-borne disease. Increasing resistance to Salmonella spp. has been reported in recent years, and now the prevalence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella spp. is a worldwide problem. This necessitates alternative approaches like phage therapy. This study aimed to isolate bacteriophages specific for Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolated from different sources (chicken meat, beef and eggshells). The antibiotic resistance profiles of the bacteria were determined by phenotypic and genotypic methods. The prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes was examined by polymerase chain reaction. In total, 75% of the isolated Salmonella strains were resistant to tetracycline, whereas 70% of them were resistant to azithromycin. All of the isolates from beef were resistant to nalidixic acid. The most common extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes among the isolates were bla(SHV) (15%) followed by bla(TEM) (10%) and bla(CTX) (5%). Two specific bacteriophages were isolated and characterized. The host range for vB_SparS-ui was Salmonella Paratyphi B, S. enterica serovar Paratyphi A and S. enterica, while that for vB_StyS-sam phage was Salmonella Typhimurium and S. enterica serovar Enteritidis. The characteristics of the isolated phages indicate that they are proper candidates to be used to control some foodstuff contaminations and also phage therapy of infected animals.

Automated summary

Salmonellosis is a significant global foodborne disease, with multidrug-resistant Salmonella spp. becoming a worldwide problem. This study isolated and characterized bacteriophages specific to Salmonella Paratyphi B and S. Typhimurium, with a focus on antibiotic resistance and ESBL gene prevalence. The isolated phages show potential for controlling food contamination and phage therapy for infected animals.