Pathogenic Escherichia coli-Specific Bacteriophages and Polyvalent Bacteriophages in Piglet Guts with Increasing Coliphage Numbers after Weaning

Abstract

Previous studies based on metagenomic sequencing reported that gut bacteriophages profoundly influence gut physiology but did not provide information regarding the host range and biological significance. Here, we screened coliphages from preweaned and postweaned piglet gut against indicator hosts, which allowed us to identify the pathogenic E. coli -specific bacteriophages and polyvalent bacteriophages in pig farms and quantify their presence.