Comparative efficacy of enrofloxacin, oxytetracycline, and sulfadimethoxine for the control of morbidity and mortality caused by Escherichia coli in broiler chickens

• Published in: Avian diseases Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 658 - 662
• Main Authors: Glisson, J.R, Hofacre, C.L, Mathis, G.F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.09.2004
• Subjects: Air Sacs - microbiology; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Body Weight; broiler chickens; Chickens - microbiology; disease control; disease severity; drug therapy; enrofloxacin; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli Infections - drug therapy; Escherichia coli Infections - mortality; Escherichia coli Infections - pathology; Escherichia coli Infections - veterinary; Escherichia infections; feed conversion; Fluoroquinolones - therapeutic use; morbidity; mortality; oxytetracycline; Oxytetracycline - therapeutic use; poultry diseases; Poultry Diseases - drug therapy; Poultry Diseases - microbiology; Poultry Diseases - mortality; Poultry Diseases - pathology; Quinolones - therapeutic use; sulfadimethoxine; Sulfadimethoxine - therapeutic use; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0005-2086; 1938-4351
• DOI: 10.1637/7166

The purpose of the present study was to compare the ability of enrofloxacin, oxytetracycline, and sulfadimethoxine to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by Escherichia coli (colibacillosis) in broiler chickens. The chickens were raised in 80 pens (20 birds per pen) with 20 pens representing each treatment group under simulated commercial conditions that produced a colibacillosis challenge scenario. Each group of 20 randomized pens (replicates) was given one of four water treatments. Chickens that received enrofloxacin had significantly less mortality (P < 0.01), lower average gross pathology (colibacillosis) scores (P < 0.01), and better feed-conversion ratios (P < 0.05) than did chickens that received either oxytetracycline or no medication. Chickens that received enrofloxacin had significantly less mortality and lower pathology scores than those that received sulfadimethoxine and numerically lower feed conversion than the sulfadimethoxine group. Results from the present study show that enrofloxacin is superior to oxytetracycline and sulfadimethoxine for the control of morbidity and mortality caused by E. coli in broiler chickens. Our findings will help veterinarians choose and prescribe the most efficacious antimicrobial when treating colibacillosis.