Scientists develop new product to tackle Salmonella

Scientists have successfully developed a bacteriophage product to prevent Salmonella in broiler chickens.

A trial led by researchers Dr Anisha Thanki and Professor Martha Clokie from the University of Leicester showed that the liquid product, made from bacteriophage – viruses that infect bacteria and kill them - prevented the bacterial infection developing in chickens.

The trial was made possible thanks to funding from global feed company, AB Agri, who manufacture animal feed and create nutrition and technology-based products and the findings have now been published in scientific journal, Emerging Microbes and Infections.

Salmonella are bacteria that can cause food-borne illness in humans if passed on from poultry and costs the farming industry billions to control each year. In the EU, around 91,000 people are infected with Salmonellosis annually, a severe form of food poisoning. 

It is hoped that the product, which could be administered directly to poultry and targets multiple strains of Salmonella common throughout UK farming, will eventually be available for use in commercial poultry production.

The trial used 672 chickens, split across six control groups to test whether the bacteriophage was effective in differing doses.

Dr Anisha Thanki, explains: “We tested whether the bacteriophage product delivered in feed at different doses wiped out Salmonella in chickens over a 42-day period. We found that all those infected and treated with the lowest dose at the beginning of the trial, tested negative for Salmonella on day 42. 

“It’s hugely exciting to have developed a product which could help reduce infection in chickens and prevent Salmonella ultimately entering our food chain. If successfully commercialised it could reduce reliance on existing antimicrobials and potentially save the farming industry billions of pounds each year.”

Phages are naturally occurring in the environment around us and can be found where high numbers of bacteria lurk. 

The bacteriophage used within the trial was developed in the University’s pioneering new Leicester Centre for Bacteriophage Research which is studying bacteriophage-based products to prevent and treat bacterial infections in humans, animals and in agriculture. 

Dr Natasha Whenham, Head of Innovation at AB Agri, said: “We are passionate about finding innovative technologies that enable responsible food production globally. AB Agri is proud to support ground-breaking research into novel solutions that help drive our industry towards a more sustainable future.”