Nitrovin and tetracycline: a comparison of their effect on salmonellosis in chicks

The effects of nitrovin and tetracycline on the elimination and persistence of Salmonella infantis in the intestine of broiler chicks were studied. Experiments were also carried out regarding the influence of these drugs on certain bacteria which tend to prevent the establishment of S. infantis in the intestines of chickens.

It was shown that chicks artificially infected with S. infantis and fed for 5 weeks with 20 ppm nitrovin in the food had a lower incidence of salmonellae than those similarly infected and fed with 100 ppm tetracycline or without any drugs in the food.

Ten ppm nitrovin in the food of artificially infected chicks did not prevent pre‐treatment with a culture of intestinal bacteria from having an inhibiting effect on the colonisation of the caeca with S. infantis.

The salmonella inhibiting effect of pre‐treatment of infected chicks with intestinal bacteria was not destroyed when the bacteria were cultured in vitro in the presence of 10 ppm nitrovin, but it was destroyed by both 100 ppm and 20 ppm tetracycline.