Research – Studying bacteriophage therapy in chickens

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Fowl typhoid (FT) is among the most significant poultry bacterial diseases worldwide, mostly affecting developing countries.¹ The causal agent of FT is Salmonella enterica Gallinarum. Although S enterica Gallinarum is egg-transmitted and produces lesions in chicks and poults, there is a much greater tendency to spread among growing or mature flocks. Mortality in young birds is possible but tends to be higher in older birds.²

In a poster presentation at the 2023 World Anti-Microbial Resistance Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, researchers from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, Pakistan, stated that, “Antibiotics are often used to prevent or control fowl typhoid; however, such practices contribute to the continually global challenge of antibiotic resistance.”¹

“In previous studies, we developed a polyphage prototype that significantly reduced Salmonella Gallinarum in experimentally challenged chickens. Here, we evaluated the pact of treatment with the polyphage prototype on microbial communities surrounding the targeted bacteria.”¹