Challenges of Phage Therapy as a Strategic Tool for the Control of Salmonella Kentucky and Repertoire of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Africa

Abstract

Salmonella Kentucky ST198 (S. Kentucky ST198) is the most ubiquitous multidrug resistant (MDR) strain posing the greatest threat to public health, livestock and food industry in Africa. The reinvention of bacteriophage (Phage) as a non-antibiotic alternative only gives a glimmer of hope in the control of MDR strains of Salmonellae. S. Kentucky ST198 posses’ chromosomal and plasmid factors capable of been co-opted into phage mediated transduction and co-transduction of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) as well as cross-serovar transduction of ARGs. Phage DT104, DT120 and P-22 like prophages like PDT17 and ES18 together have been shown to be capable of transducing and co-transducing the classical ACSSuT resistance phenotype identified in most S. Kentucky ST198 strain on the continent. Also, the institution of fluoroquinolones and third generation cephalosporin for salmonellosis treatment in animals or human infected by S. Kentucky ST198 strain resistant to these drugs can induce Salmonella phage transduction of kanamycin between different Salmonella serovars if present. This review highlights possible risk associated with the use of known Salmonella phages in the control of S. Kentucky ST198 and the need for chromosomal and plasmid tracking of genes prior to the institution of phage therapy on the continent.