Comprehensive investigation of a novel and safe lytic phage vB_AroA_KFSA9 as a commercial candidate for biocontrol of <i>Aeromonas hydrophila</i> on fresh produce.

ABSTRACT: Aeromonas hydrophila is an emerging foodborne pathogen, particularly prevalent in fresh produce, posing a risk to public health. Despite its significance, no commercial phage products have yet been developed to target Aeromonas spp. for food applications. This study characterized and evaluated a novel, safe A. hydrophila-specific phage, vB_AroA_KFSA9 as a commercial biocontrol candidate for application on fresh produce. vB_AroA_KFSA9, isolated from a poultry processing plant, exhibited high specificity only against nine A. hydrophila strains, showing no lytic activity against 4 Aeromonas species, 3 probiotic species, and 19 species of foodborne pathogen. Comprehensive genomic analysis confirmed the safety of the phage by revealing no undesirable genes ass

SUBMITTER: Choi IY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12828811 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature