efficiency of bacteriophage in biocontrol of enterococcal colonization of quail

three experiments were carried out for isolation of bacteriophage against growth reducing enterococcus faecalis and evaluation of its efficacy to control enterococci colonization in intestine of japanese quails. in experiment one, 60 enterococci spp were isolated from gastrointestinal contents of adult quails, which among them seven isolates were selected based on preliminary tests. in experiment two, effect of oral challenge by the seven selected isolates along with enterococcus faecalis atcc51299- as positive control on growth performance of growing quails was evaluated. in experiment three, lytic bacteriophage was screened against enterococcus faecalis using quails excreta and poultry house swage as a sources of phage. finally, efficiency of bacteriophage therapy (104 pfu/ml) in biocontrol of enterococcal colonization of intestine was evaluated in quails orally challenged by enterococcus faecalis (107 cfu/ml). among seven isolates from the first experiment, an isolate which reduced the growth of growing quails and had the minimum mortality in comparison to negative control group (p