Characterization of a bacteriophage for Carnobacterium divergens NCFB 2763 by host specificity and electron microscopy.

Carnobacterium divergens NCFB 2763 was used to isolate bacteriophage cd1 from minced beef using an enrichment isolation technique. Host specificity testing showed that it exhibited lytic activity only against a limited number of C. divergens strains. No activity was observed against any of the C. gallinarum, C. mobile, C. piscicola, Enterococcus durans, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lact. brevis strains tested. Anaerobic incubation had no effect on the host specificity pattern. Bacteriophage cd1 belongs to Bradley group B and on average the head was 94 nm, the tail 103 x 23 nm and the base plate 48 x 32 nm.