Isolation and Characterization of Listeria monocytogenes Phage vB_LmoH_P61, a Phage With Biocontrol Potential on Different Food Matrices

The high mortality rate associated with Listeria monocytogenes as well as its ability to adapt to the harsh conditions employed in food processing have ensured that this pathogen has become a significant concern in the ready-to-eat food industry. Lytic bacteriophages are viruses that hijack their bacterial host’s metabolic mechanisms as a means to grow and replicate, subsequently leading to host cell death due to lysis. With emerging concerns related to the increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, bacteriophages may act as a suitable biocontrol alternative. This study reports the biological and genomic characterisation of the broad host range Listeria monocytogenes phage vB_Lmo…