Colibacillosis in Chickens and Prophylaxis Methods

Corpses of chickens of different ages and different lines of productivity, both from private farms and from poultry farms have been pathologically studied. Bacteriological studies (morphological, tinctorial, biochemical, antigenic properties, sensitivity of the pathogen to antibiotics were studied), as well as mycotoxicological studies of grain and all-mash have been conducted. A retrospective analysis of laboratory studies in Ukraine regarding the incidence of colibacillosis in chickens has been carried out. During bacteriological study of pathological material from the corpses of chickens obtained from different farms, both from one, and from various bedding lots, E. coli cultures have been isolated, that belonged to different serovars according to their antigenic properties. Out of the 25 preparations, E. coli culture, isolated from the corpses of chickens from the instructional farm of Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, was slightly susceptible to amoxicillin, and E. coli culture from Svitanok Agrarian Farm was susceptible to norflloxacin only. Materials of mycotoxicological studies of all-mash for chickens indicate that association of fungi with the degree of toxicity similar to grain samples was isolated from all samples. Summarizing the results of the study it can be concluded that fodder affected by toxicological fungi caused a decrease in the level of natural resistance-immunodeficiency in chickens, on the background of which the conditionally pathogenic E. coli developed, causing the disease in chickens related to colibacillosis. Taking into account the presence of more than 100 E. coli serovars, having their own antigenic properties, it should be emphasized that it is necessary to use vaccines made from local E. coli serovars in the farms, as well as to vaccinate paultry with this vaccine of the parent stock of the farms-suppliers of the hatchery eggs.