Effectiveness of two fluoroquinolones for the treatment of chronic respiratory disease outbreak in broilers

• Published in: British poultry science 1998-03, Vol.39 (1), p.42-46
• Main Authors: H. SUMANO, L., OCAMPO, C.L., BRUMBAUGH, G.W., LIZARRAGA, R.E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents - therapeutic use; Body Weight - drug effects; Chickens; Chronic Disease; Disease Outbreaks - veterinary; Escherichia coli Infections - complications; Escherichia coli Infections - drug therapy; Escherichia coli Infections - veterinary; Fluoroquinolones; Mycoplasma Infections - complications; Mycoplasma Infections - drug therapy; Mycoplasma Infections - veterinary; Nicotinic Acids - therapeutic use; Norfloxacin - analogs & derivatives; Norfloxacin - therapeutic use; Poultry Diseases; Probability; Quinolones - therapeutic use; Respiratory Tract Infections - drug therapy; Respiratory Tract Infections - mortality; Respiratory Tract Infections - veterinary; Survival Analysis
• ISSN: 0007-1668; 1466-1799
• DOI: 10.1080/00071669889376

1. Chronic respiratory disease (CRD) caused by Mycoplasma synoviae in association with Escherichia coli is the disease most frequently encountered in poultry in Mexico. 2. Differences of antimycoplasmal activity, pharmacokinetics and cost among fluoroquinolones were the impetus for this clinical evaluation of efficacy of enrofloxacin and norfloxacin-nicotinate in broilers with CRD. 3. A total of 99,600 broilers, naturally infected with M. synoviae and E. coli , were treated with enrofloxacin (10 mg/kg/d for 3 d) (n = 49,800) or norfloxacin-nicotinate (20 mg/kg/d for 3 d) (n = 49,800). 4. Based on survivor analysis, there were no significant differences of efficacy of the 2 drugs. Survivor probabilities were above 0.99. 5. These results indicate that enrofloxacin and norfloxacin-nicotinate are efficacious for treatment of CRD. Questions remaining to be answered by other studies include: public health concern about the use of fluoroquinolones for the treatment of CRD; clinical superiority of one of these drugs on the basis of an attribute other than antimicrobial activity, such as cost:benefit ratio or ability to prevent bacterial resistance. 6. Clinical efficacy is not a relevant variable in assessing whether norfloxacin-nicotinate or enrofloxacin should be used for the treatment of CRD associated with E. coli in broilers.