1Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Udgir-413 517, Dist. Latur. Maharahstra Animal & Fishery Sciences University, Nagpur-6.
*Corresponding author
The efficacy of Levofloxadn in induced colibacillosis was studied in broilers. One day old 200 commercial broilers protected against Marek's disease were equally divided into four groups. Chicks from group-I (plain feed, healthy control); Chicks from group-II (plain feed and Levofloxadn mixed in drinking water @ 80 mg/kg of body weight for 5 days, treatment control); Group-in chicks(orally inoculated with E. coli as a single dose on the age of 8th day @ 0.2 ml of nutrient broth, approx, bacterial cone. 1 × 109 CFU/ml) and chicks in group IV were fed the plain diet along with Levofloxadn (in drinking water (@ 80 mg/kg of body weight for 5 days) and orally inoculated with E. coli (as a single dose @ 0.2 ml of nutrient broth, approx, bacterial cone. 1 x 106 CFU/ml). The chicks of all four groups were housed separately and maintained on broiler starter ad libitum and finisher rations and dean drinking water for 35 days.
In group-I and n, there were no untoward clinical symptoms, gross and microscopic lesions and relative weights of organs did not differ significantly at all intervals. In group-m relative weights of heart, liver and kidneys were increased at all intervals, whereas weights of lungs, spleen and bursa were increased from 7th to 21st DPI. Significant and consistent gross and microscopic lesions were fibrinous pericarditis, fibrinous perihepatitis, pneumonic lesions in lungs, nephotoxic lesions in kidney and enteritis. In group-IV, altered relative weights of heart, liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys and bursa were significantly improved. Gross and microscopic lesions were mild and minimal in all visceral organs. Thus, it was concluded that Levofloxadn had ameliorating effects on colibacillosis in broilers.
Broilers, Colibacillosis, Levofloxadn, Pathological studies
