Two novel Vibrio parahaemolyticus phages (vB_VpaS_1601 and vB_VpaP_1701) can serve as potential biocontrol agents against Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in seafood

Abstract

Vibrio parahaemolyticus poses a serious threat to the aquaculture industry and human health. Two novel phages (vB_VpaS_1601 and vB_VpaP_1701) were isolated from oysters. Phage vB_VpaS_1601 and phage vB_VpaP_1701 exhibited short latent periods and high burst sizes. In addition, both phages showed stability across a broad range of temperature and pH conditions. Genomic analyses revealed that phage vB_VpaS_1601 is a novel genus of the Caudoviricetes class, and vB_VpaP_1701 is a new species of the Maculvirus genus, Autographiviridae family. Both single phage and phage cocktail can inhibit V. parahaemolyticus proliferation, with phage cocktail (MOI = 1) can completely inhibit the growth of V. parahaemolyticus within 12 h. The phages reduced biofilm formation by 53.57 % (vB_VpaS_1601) and 64.88 % (vB_VpaP_1701), while the cocktail achieved 46 %–78 % inhibition. Phage cocktail can reduce V. parahaemolyticus by 1.53–2.74 log CFU/cm³ in salmon and 1.56–2.91 log CFU/cm³ in oysters. These results indicated that vB_VpaS_1601 and vB_VpaP_1701 have potential as antibacterial agents for controlling V. parahaemolyticus in seafood products.