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Bacteriophage Therapy to Control Bovine Mastitis: A Review
1Centre for Epidemiology and Planetary Health, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Inverness IV2 5NA, Scotland, UK.
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 26, 2023
Summary
Bovine mastitis, an udder infection in cattle, poses significant economic and welfare challenges. Phage therapy offers a promising alternative to antibiotics, effectively targeting bacteria and combating antimicrobial resistance in the dairy industry.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Microbiology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Bovine mastitis is a widespread polymicrobial udder infection in cattle, causing substantial economic losses and welfare concerns.
- Current antibiotic treatments are hampered by rising antimicrobial resistance and bacterial biofilm formation.
- Key bacterial pathogens include *Staphylococcus*, *Streptococcus*, *Escherichia*, and *Klebsiella* species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the potential of bacteriophage (phage) therapy as a sustainable alternative or supplement to antibiotics for bovine mastitis.
- To highlight research on phage isolation, characterization, and efficacy in various bovine mastitis models.
- To identify areas for improvement in phage therapy development for dairy cattle.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on bovine mastitis etiology and phage therapy research.
- Emphasis on phage isolation from mastitic and non-mastitic sources.
- Evaluation of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies on single and multiple phage efficacy, including adjuncts with probiotics.
Main Results:
- Bacteriophages demonstrate high specificity in targeting and lysing mastitis-causing bacteria.
- Phage therapy shows potential as a standalone treatment or in combination with probiotics.
- Research supports the deployment of phages in dairy industry settings.
Conclusions:
- Phage therapy presents a viable strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance in bovine mastitis.
- Further optimization of phage cocktails, formulation, and genetic engineering is needed for enhanced delivery, stability, efficacy, and safety.
- Phage therapy is increasingly attractive for clinical and agricultural applications, potentially mitigating the antimicrobial resistance crisis.
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