Efficacy Of Ofloxacin In Chickens

Ofloxacin is a member of fluoroquinolones antibacterial agents. It has broad spectrum activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria as well as Mycoplasma spp.Broiler chickens are frequently infected with E.coli which often result in disease conditions and highly economic losses in poultry industry allover the world.The present study was carried out to throw the light on the efficacy of ofloxacin (20mg/kg b.wt.) in treatment of broiler chickens experimentally infected with E.coli. Special attention was paid to its influence on some serum biochemical parameters and itI- Antibacterial activity in vitro:The sensitivity test showed that, E.coli was highly sensitive to ofloxacin than other tested antibacterial agents.Our results revealed that, MIC of ofloxacin against E.coli was found to be < 0.25 µg/ml which much lower than that of other tested antimicrobials against tested avian E.coli.II- Antibacterial activity in vivo:In vivo efficacy of ofloxacin was carried out on one hundred, Cobb broiler chicks classified into 4 equal groups as thefollowing:Group 1: Non infected non treated (control).Group 2: Non infected treated with ofloxacin (20mg/kg b.wt.) for 5 successive days.Group3: Experimentaly infected with E.coli non treated.Group4: Experimentaly infected E.coli treated with ofloxacin (20mg/kg b.wt.) for 5 successive days.Blood Samples were collected on 1st , 7th and 14th days post ofloxacin treatment to separate serum which used for biochemical analysis.Samples from liver and kidney from all groups were collected and fixed in 10 % neutral formalin for histopathological examination.