Study of effectiveness of enrofloxacin and moxifloxacin in experimental salmonellosis of chickens

Abstract

In this publication we present a comparative study of effectiveness of enrofloxacin and moxifloxacin for treatment of chickens, experimentally infected with Salmonella infantis. The chickens received both drugs in water-soluble form via drinking water ad libitum at concentrations of 200 mg/L, 100 mg/L, 50 mg/L and 25 mg/L one day before the challenge and then four consecutive days. The chickens were challenged by intraperitoneal injection with 150 million CFUs of one-day old agar culture of S. infantis in 0.5 mL isotonic saline. The observation period was 15 days. Enrofloxacin proved most effective (88% and 84%) at concentrations of 200 mg/L and 100 mg/L. Lower concentrations caused a decrease in its effectiveness. When enrofloxacin was administered at a concentration of 50 mg/L the survival rate for chickens was 64%. The effectiveness of moxifloxacin in our experiment was considerably lower. The survival rate for chickens, receiving moxifloxacin at concentrations 200 mg/L, 100 mg/L, 50 mg/L and 25 mg/L was respectively 32%, 28%, 32% and 16%, and their average lifespan was half as long as of those groups, receiving enrofloxacin. The results of our research prove the high effectiveness of enrofloxacin at a concentration 200 mg/L in drinking water for the treatment of experimental salmonellosis in chickens.