• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.35-43
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• 2014

Salmonellosis has caused heavy losses in swine industry and implications for public health. Recently, the urgent problem of antibiotic resistance due to multidrug-resistant Salmonella spp. has been on the rise. The use of host-specific bateriophages as a biocontrol is one possible alternative. In this study, clinical signs, growth performance, quantification and detection of antigen, histopathological changes of gastrointestinal tracts were analyzed comparatively in weaned piglets according to administration of bacteriophages and challenge with Salmonella (S.) Typhimurium. Piglets challenged with S. Typhimurium after administered with bacteriophages showed reduced clinical signs, higher growth performance, lower bacterial shedding, lower quantificational value of antigens in intestines, higher V/C ratio and higher the number of goblet cells in intestines than piglets administered without bacteriophage and challenged with S. Typhimurium. These results indicate that feeding contained with bacteriophages has effect to prevent infection of S. Typhimurium in weaned piglets and suggest that a use of bacteriophage can be considered a valid antibiotic alternative.