Clinical evaluation of in-feed zinc bacitracin for the control of porcine intestinal adenomatosis in growing/fattening pigs

Vet Rec. 1996 May 18;138(20):489-92. doi: 10.1136/vr.138.20.489.

Abstract

This field trial was designed to investigate whether the incorporation of zinc bacitracin into pig feed would prevent porcine intestinal adenomatosis. Two hundred-and-eighty-eight weaned pigs on a farm with a previous history of the disease were divided into 16 pens of 18 pigs. Two dietary regimens of zinc bacitracin were tested: from weaning up to 100 days of age, either 300 or 200 ppm zinc bacitracin were incorporated; from 100 to 125 days of age, either 200 or 100 ppm zinc bacitracin were added; and from 125 to 156 days of age (slaughter), either 100 or 50 ppm zinc bacitracin were added. The results were compared with a positive control group which received 60, 60 and 30 ppm salinomycin during the same periods, and with a negative control group which received no antibacterial and/or performance enhancer. The mortality, diarrhoea scores, average daily weight gains, average daily feed intakes and feed conversion ratios of the pigs were assessed. At slaughter, samples of ileum were taken from eight randomly selected pigs per group for bacteriological and histopathological examinations. The three treated groups all performed better than the control group, and the group receiving the high dose regimen of zinc bacitracin performed significantly better than the groups receiving the low dose of zinc bacitracin or salinomycin.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / drug therapy
  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / prevention & control
  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli / veterinary*
  • Animal Feed
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bacitracin / administration & dosage
  • Bacitracin / therapeutic use*
  • Diarrhea / prevention & control
  • Diarrhea / veterinary
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Ileal Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Ileal Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Ileal Neoplasms / veterinary*
  • Ileum / drug effects
  • Ileum / pathology
  • Male
  • Pyrans / administration & dosage
  • Pyrans / therapeutic use
  • Swine
  • Swine Diseases / drug therapy
  • Swine Diseases / pathology
  • Swine Diseases / prevention & control*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Pyrans
  • Bacitracin
  • salinomycin