Evaluation of bacteriophages for prevention and treatment of diarrhea due to experimental enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli O149 infection of pigs.

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of selected phages individually and in combination in prevention and treatment of diarrhea due to experimental O149:H10:F4 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in weaned pigs. For prophylaxis, the phages were administered orally shortly after challenge, and for therapeutic use, were given 24h after challenge, following the onset of diarrhea. The parameters used to assess outcomes were weight change, duration of diarrhea, severity of diarrhea, composite diarrhea score, and extent of shedding of the challenge ETEC over 6 days.

Complete genomic sequence of bacteriophage phiEcoM-GJ1, a novel phage that has myovirus morphology and a podovirus-like RNA polymerase.

The complete genome of phiEcoM-GJ1, a lytic phage that attacks porcine enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli of serotype O149:H10:F4, was sequenced and analyzed. The morphology of the phage and the identity of the structural proteins were also determined. The genome consisted of 52,975 bp with a G+C content of 44% and was terminally redundant and circularly permuted.

Isolation and characterization of nine bacteriophages that lyse O149 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

The goal of this study was to isolate and characterize phages that might be used in prevention and treatment of porcine post-weaning diarrhea due to O149 enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). Serotype O149:H10:F4 was especially targeted because this is the dominant ETEC serotype.