Dr. Paul Ebner, Professor in the Department of Animal Science, has announced that Purdue University has developed a bacteriophage cocktail capable of suppressing avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). Dr. Ebner claims that the bacteriophage product reduces the level of APEC in lungs and ceca of chickens when administered as an oral microencapsulated preparation.

The Purdue University Office of Technology Commercialization has applied for a patent for the product.  It is intended to position the bacteriophage cocktail against antibiotics to reduce the impact of APEC for ABF production.

Bacteriophage therapy has been used in Eastern Europe to treat bacterial infections.  It is generally accepted that bacteriophages must be compatible with target bacteria.  In the case of the Purdue cocktail, appropriate phages have apparently been selected and the microencapsulation ensures activity in the lower intestinal tract.  It remains to be seen whether the product is consistently beneficial under commercial conditions where flocks are simultaneously exposed to environmental stress, immunosuppressive viruses, primary respiratory pathogens and secondary bacterial infection including APEC.