Isolation and characterisation of bacteriophages with activity against invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella causing bloodstream infection in Malawi

Abstract

In recent years, novel lineages of invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) serovars Typhimurium and Enteritidis have been identified in patients with bloodstream infection in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we isolated and characterised 32 phages capable of infecting S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis, from water sources in Malawi and the UK. The phages were classified in three major phylogenetic clusters that were geographically distributed. In terms of host range, Cluster 1 phages were able to infect all bacterial hosts tested, whereas Clusters 2 and 3 had a more restricted profile. Cluster 3 contained two sub-clusters, and 3.b contained the most novel isolates. This study represents the first exploration of the potential for phages to target the lineages of Salmonella that are responsible for bloodstream infections in sub-Saharan Africa.