Characterization of Bacteriophage cd2, a Siphophage Infecting Carnobacterium divergens and a Representative Species of a New Genus of Phage.

Carnobacterium divergens is frequently isolated from natural environments and is a predominant species found in refrigerated foods, particularly meat, seafood, and dairy. While there is substantial interest in using as biopreservatives and/or probiotics, some strains are known to be fish pathogens, and the uncontrolled growth of has been associated with food spoilage. Bacteriophages offer a selective approach to identify and control the growth of bacteria; however, to date, few phages targeting have been reported.