Viruses could become a new tool against food poisoning

Campylobacter is one of the world’s most common causes of bacterial gastroenteritis. An estimated 96 million people become infected every year. The infection is primarily spread through poultry products and can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain. In some cases, it can also lead to nerve damage and long-term intestinal disorders.

Viruses that attack bacteria

The review brings together findings from more than one hundred earlier studies on bacteriophages, viruses that infect and kill bacteria. The researchers focus particularly on so-called group II Campylobacter phages, which they identify as the promising candidates for practical use against Campylobacter in the food chain.

Previous studies have shown that these viruses can reduce levels of Campylobacter in chickens’ intestines, on poultry meat, and on surfaces in slaughterhouses and food production facilities. Group II phages have also shown activity against both Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, the two bacterial species responsible for most human infections.

Muhammad Tanweer Khan, Associate Professor at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, co-authored the paper:

“Antibiotic resistance is increasing in many parts of the world, making Campylobacter infections harder to treat. That is why we need new ways to reduce these bacteria before they reach people through food,” he says.

In practice, bacteriophages could be administered through chickens’ drinking water, mixed into feed, or sprayed onto meat and equipment during food production. When the viruses encounter the right bacteria, they infect and kill them.

Unlike antibiotics, bacteriophages target specific bacteria without wiping out large parts of the surrounding bacterial flora. Earlier studies also suggest that the treatment  has only limited effects on other bacteria in the chickens’ gut microbiota.

Obstacles still remain

At the same time, the article highlights several obstacles that must be addressed before the technology can be widely adopted by the food industry. The effectiveness of the viruses is influenced by temperature, environmental conditions, bacterial strains, and how the treatments are applied in practice. More research is also needed to understand how bacteria may develop resistance to the viruses over time.

Muhammad Shahzad Rafiq, veterinarian and first author of the study at Huazhong Agricultural University in China:

“The results from previous studies are promising, but we need more large-scale trials to understand how the treatment performs under real-world conditions in food production. We also need a better understanding of how the bacteria may change over time and affect the effectiveness of phage-based treatments,” he says.

The researchers also point to challenges related to large-scale production, safety testing, and regulatory approval before the method can be used commercially. The goal is not to replace existing hygiene and infection-control measures, but rather to complement them with a more targeted way to reduce bacteria in the food chain.

Article: The role of Campylobacter group II phages in mitigating Campylobacter contamination across the poultry food chain: Current applications and future prospects
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2026.119365