Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of the locally prepared autogenous Salmonella Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) bacterin as well as a probiotic preparation in the prevention of broiler chickens from S. Enteritidis infection. A total of three hundred and ten, one day-old Hubbard broiler chicks were used. At day old, ten chicks were sacrificed and examined bacteriologically to prove their freedom from S. Enteritidis infection. Three hundred birds were divided into four equal groups. Chickens in group (1) were kept as blank control negative non infected-non treated birds, while those of group (2) were challenged non treated birds. Group (3) was vaccinated intramuscularly by the autogenous bacterin at the first day of age in a dose of 0.2 ml/bird and boostered as a second dose at 10 days of age in a dose 0.5 ml/bird, however, group (4) was given a commercial probiotic preparation as 1gm/ 4 liter of the drinking water from the first day of age and continued for 5 successive days. All birds in groups 2, 3, and 4 were challenged orally by 0.5 ml containing 10⁹ CFU/ml S. Enteritidis at 20 days of age. All the groups were kept under complete observation for three weeks for recording signs, moralities, gross lesions, shedding rate of S. Enteritidis, re-isolation of the organism, the performance as well as detection of the titer of antibodies serologically using microagglutination test and enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) test. The results showed that the both the bacterin and the probiotic are equally effective in reducing signs, mortalities, gross lesions, the shedding rate and the re-isolation of S. Enteritidis and also increasing in the performance of chickens. The effect of the bacterin and the probiotic was significant (P<=0.05) when compared with the infected non treated chickens. Moreover, the serological investigation revealed an improvement in the titer of antibodies after vaccination and probiotic treatment. In conclusion, double doses of locally prepared autogenous S. Enteritidis bacterin and the probiotic preparation were effective and safe methods for prevention of S. Enteritidis infection in broiler chickens.

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