Ronidazole in low concentrations in drinking water for treatment and development of immunity to swine dysentery
Olson, L.D.; Rodabaugh, D.E.
American Journal of Veterinary Research 37(7): 763-767
1976
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9645 PMID: 937800 Document Number: 104541
There were more survivors, fewer days of haemorrhagic diarrhoea, greater food and water consumption body weight gain and efficiency of food conversion in experimentally infected pigs given 0.003, 0.0015 or 0.00075% ronidazole than in controls. At 0.003% there were no deaths and diarrhoea receded during or after treatment. With 0.0015 or 0.00075% the incidence of nonhaemorrhagic diarrhoea was greater in treated than in control pigs and diarrhoea did not recede during treatment. In a second experiment there were more survivors in the groups given 0.0015% than in control groups. All surviving control pigs in the first experiment were immune to infection 3 months after the initial exposure. More pigs given 0.0015 or 0.00075% were immune to infection than were those given 0.003%. In the second experiment neither the pigs given 0.0015% nor the controls were immune to reinfection 5 weeks after the initial exposure. Large spirochaetes were found in faeces of all exposed pigs which developed either haemorrhagic or non-haemorrhagic diarrhoea.