TREATMENT OF ACUTE INTESTINAL INFECTION IN MINKS

Abstract

The article presents the results of studies on the effectiveness of the multicomponent drug Nifulin (powder for oral administration) in the treatment of acute gastrointestinal infection in minks. The active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of the drug are metronidazole, furazolidone and oxytetracycline hydrochloride. The researches were conducted on 135 minks of standard dark brown breed at the age of 4–5 months with acute gastrointestinal infection. To isolate and identify pathogens from sick minks with intestinal infection, samples of feces were taken, and from animal’s corpses – samples of parenchymal organs. On the basis of clinical signs of the disease and results of bacteriological researches of biomaterial, a diagnosis – salmonellosis has been put. The test for the sensitivity of bacteria-isolates to oxytetracycline showed a high degree of sensitivity of isolated strains of Salmonella to this antibiotic.
 Nifulin was administered orally at a dose of 0,3g/kg body weight with food three times a day for 3 days. For laboratory tests blood sampling was performed from 10 animals before treatment and on the 10th day from the latest application of the drug.
 Morphological studies of blood samples of sick minks before treatment established a significant increase in the number of leukocytes, and in leukoformula – an increased relative number of rod-nucleated neutrophils and lymphocytes, a decreased number of segmentonuclear neutrophils. Biochemical studies of blood serum revealed a decrease in total protein content, increased transaminase enzyme activity and increased urea and creatinine content, compared with physiological norms.
 On the 10th day after antibiotic therapy hematological studies established a reliable decrease in the relative number of leukocytes by 65,4%, in the number of rod-nucleated neutrophils by 1,3 times and in the number of lymphocytes by 1,9 times, an increase in the number of segmentonuclear neutrophils by 1,4 times. The results of biochemical tests of mink’s serum blood indicated a reliable increase in the total protein content by 18% and increased ALT and AST enzyme activity, compared with the physiological values. The increase in serum AST activity in 1.8 times was noted, that can be explained, as a consequence of the disease, and the influence of antibiotics on the mink’s liver functional state. In this case, a decrease in urea content in 1.3 times and creatinine content – in 1.5 times was determined, the values of these indicators were normalized, indicating the restoration of the physiological state of the mink’s kidneys.
 As a result of the treatment of minks the clinical signs of the disease were gradually disappeared: diarrhea stopped, body temperature and respiratory frequency normalized, general condition has improved. In most animals (130 goals) clinical recovery came. During the application of Nifulin manifestations of adverse reactions or negative effects in the experimental minks were not observed.