Isolation of bacteriophage 14-lysogenized Salmonella from the freshwater aquarium snail Apullaria

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Bacteriology
• Virology

Background:

• Salmonella serovars are a significant public health concern.
• Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and can influence bacterial evolution.
• Aquatic environments can harbor various bacterial species, including Salmonella.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the first isolation of naturally occurring Salmonella mikawasima serologically converted by a specific bacteriophage.
• To describe a Salmonella tennessee variant also seroconverted by the same phage.
• To investigate the lytic activity of the isolated phage against other Salmonella serotypes.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and serological characterization of Salmonella strains from freshwater aquarium snails (Ampullaria).
• Bacteriophage typing to determine seroconversion.
• Testing the lytic activity of the isolated phage (phage 14) against reference Salmonella strains.

Main Results:

• Isolation of a naturally occurring Salmonella mikawasima seroconverted by phage 14 (6,7,14:y:e,n,z15).
• Isolation of a Salmonella tennessee variant seroconverted by phage 14 (6,7,14:z29:-).
• Phage 14 demonstrated lytic activity against Salmonella bovis-morbificans (6,8:r:1,5) and Salmonella hadar (6,8:z10:e,n,x).

Conclusions:

• Freshwater aquarium snails can be a source of novel Salmonella serovariants.
• Bacteriophage 14 plays a role in the serological conversion of these Salmonella strains.
• Phage 14 exhibits broader lytic activity, suggesting potential applications in Salmonella typing or control.