ABSTRACT
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Since the discovery of bacteriophages in 1915-1917, they have been used to prevent and treat various bacterial infections. Although phage therapy has been historically associated with the use of bacteriophages in human medicine, phages also have been extensively used in veterinary medicine and in various agricultural settings. The history and various aspects of phage therapy in humans are reviewed in Chapter 14 of this book. In this Chapter, we review the past and current use of phages to prevent and treat naturally occurring and experimentally induced infections of animals. In addition, we discuss the potential applications of phage therapy in various agricultural settings, including the potential value of bacteriophages for improving the safety of foods and preventing foodborne diseases of bacterial etiology, and their potential to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock.
