Characterization of two novel lytic bacteriophages having lysis potential against MDR avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains of zoonotic potential

Avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) is associated with local and systemic infections in poultry, ducks, turkeys, and many other avian species, leading to heavy economical losses. These APEC strains are presumed to possess zoonotic potential due to common virulence markers that can cause urinary tract infections in humans. The prophylactic use of antibiotics in the poultry sector has led to the rapid emergence of Multiple Drug Resistant (MDR) APEC strains that act as reservoirs and put human populations at risk. This calls for consideration of alternative strategies to decrease the bacterial load. Here, we report isolation, preliminary characterization, and genome analysis of two novel lytic phage species (Escherichia phage SKA49 and Escherichia phage SKA64) against MDR strain of APEC, QZJM25. Both phages were able to keep QZJM25 growth significantly less than the untreated bacterial control for approximately 18 h. The host range was tested against Escherichia coli strains of poultry and human UTI infections. SKA49 had a broader host range in contrast to SKA64. Both phages were stable at 37 °C only. Their genome analysis indicated their safety as no recombination, integration and host virulence genes were identified. Both these phages can be good candidates for control of APEC strains based on their lysis potential.