Phage therapy as a potential approach in the biocontrol of pathogenic bacteria associated with shellfish consumption

Infectious human diseases acquired from bivalve shellfish consumption constitute a public health threat. These health threats are largely related to the filter-feeding phenomenon, by which bivalve organisms retain and concentrate pathogenic bacteria from their surrounding waters. Even after depuration, bivalve shellfish are still involved in outbreaks caused by pathogenic bacteria, which increases the demand for new and efficient strategies to control transmission of shellfish infection. Bacteriophage (or phage) therapy represents a promising, tailor-made approach to control human pathogens in bivalves, but its success depends on a deep understanding of several factors that include the bacterial communities present in the harvesting waters, the appropriate selection of phage particles, the multiplicity of infection that produces the best bacterial inactivation, chemical and physical factors, the emergence of phage-resistant bacterial mutants and the life cycle of bivalves. This review discusses the need to advance phage therapy research for bivalve decontamination, highlighting their efficiency as an antimicrobial strategy and identifying critical aspects to successfully apply this therapy to control human pathogens associated with bivalve consumption. •Bacterial pathogens associated with bivalve consumption and human health•Current treatments to control human pathogens associated with bivalve consumption•Potential and challenges of phage therapy in the control of human pathogens associated with bivalve consumption•This review discusses the transmission of bacterial pathogens between bivalves and humans, prevention methods and the potential of phage therapy.