bacteriophage therapy for the control of clostridium perfringens in poultry: progress, challenges, and future directions

Clostridium perfringens is the primary pathogen behind necrotic enteritis in poultry, causing significant financial losses and compromising food safety on a global scale. the demand for antibiotic-free poultry, along with the challenge of antibiotic resistance, has led to increased interest in using bacteriophages as an alternative treatment. bacteriophages targeting c. perfringens offer a selective and natural solution, maintaining the integrity of gut flora while effectively decreasing bacterial loads. in this review, we evaluate the worldwide application of bacteriophages in poultry, examining their isolation, properties, and efficacy in different environmental conditions. the literature was comprehensively reviewed using sources like pubmed, google scholar, scopus, and other sources (sid, magiran) with keywords like “necrotic enteritis,” “bacteriophage therapy,” and “poultry health.” the review concentrated on the isolation of bacteriophages from poultry environments, their interaction with bacteria, and their potential to act as an antibiotic substitute. the analysis points to substantial variations in phage efficacy, influenced by local farming conditions, geographic differences, and phage-host dynamics. studies indicate that c. perfringens levels can be reduced by 99%, but stabilizing phages in various environmental conditions like ph and temperature is an ongoing challenge (figure 1). moreover, the development of bacterial resistance to phages and legal problems have slowed the commercial application of phage therapy. developments in phage combinations, genetic engineering, and adapting to environmental conditions provide hope, but more research is needed to verify long-term outcomes. bacteriophage therapy is becoming a promising alternative to antibiotics for controlling c. perfringens in poultry. global cooperation is key to establishing standardized phage applications, refining therapeutic protocols, and tackling regulatory barriers for sustainable poultry health.