THE EFFECTS OF FEEDING DIETS CONTAINING FURAZOLIDONE* ON EXPERIMENTAL SALMONELLA GALLINARUM INFECTION IN CHICKENS

Abstract

Twenty eight week-old chickens infected orally with 16.5x10⁹ viable Salmonella gallinarum organisms in 3ml. brain heart infusion broth were shown to be protected against infection by -feeding them on diets containing either 0.0055 percent or 0.011 percent furazolidone. The higher concentration was more effective as judged by the clinical symptoms, mortality, egg production, post mortem lesions and the isolation of the infecting organism from the visceral organs of the dead chickens. About 600 isolates of E. coli from the.chickens both before and during the course of infection·were sensitive to furazolidone disc (100mcg). The infecting organism and about 300 isolates of the organism tested during the course of infection were also sensitive furazolidone. No ''carriers" were detected in :chickens fed on diet containing 0.011 percent furazolidone.It is therefore recommended that furazolidone can be used effectively as feed additive for poultry.