The first report of a Salmonella enterica serovar Havana phage and its lytic activity at storage temperature of processed chicken

Abstract

Salmonella enterica serovar Havana was isolated from raw, unprocessed chickens. A bacteriophage, designated as Bacteriophage A3CE, capable of lysing S. Havana was isolated from soil. It possesses an icosahedral head, a contractile tail, and linear, double-stranded DNA genome classified under the Family Myoviridae. There was a >90% reduction in the number of host, given that the ratio of phage A3CE to S. Havana was 10 or more (MOI>10), 6 h after the bacteriophage was introduced to the host at room temperature. Phage A3CE and its host were mixed and incubated at both room temperature and 4°C (same concentration for both temperatures). Results show that there is no significant difference between the activity of the isolated phage at room temperature and at 4°C (p>0.05). Thus, Phage A3CE was effective in reducing the number of S. Havana at both temperature conditions making it a promising alternative agent against the said bacterium. This was the first study to document S. Havana phages and was the first recorded Salmonella phage in the Philippines.