Author(s)

Sherryll Lynn Layton, Xochitl Hernandez-Velasco, Shivaramaiah Chaitanya, Jorge Xavier, Anita Menconi, Juan David Latorre, Gopala Kallapura, Vivek Ayamchirakkunnel Kuttappan, Ross Elderon Wolfenden, Raphael Lucio Andreatti Filho, Billy Marshal Hargis, Guillermo Téllez

Departamento de Medicina y Zootecnia de Aves, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, México.
Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA.
Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA;Vetanco Argentina S.A. Chile 33 (B1603CMA) Vicente López, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Department of Veterinary Clinics, FMVZ UNESP Campus, Botucatu, Brazil..
Pacific Vet Group-USA, Inc., Creek View Drive Fayetteville, USA.
Vetanco Argentina S.A. Chile 33 (B1603CMA) Vicente López, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Necrotic Enteritis (NE) caused by Clostridium perfringens (CP) in poultry is probably the most important bacterial disease in terms of economic implications. The disease is multi-factorial and is invariably associated with predisposing factors. The present study investigated the effect of a commercially available Lactobacillus-based probiotic (FM-B11) for the control of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. In experiment 1, one-day-of-hatch broiler chicks were randomly allocated to the following treatment groups: 1) Non-challenged (NC); 2) Challenged (C); 3) Challenged + probiotic (C+ FM-B11). Prior to placement, chicks in groups 2 and 3 received 0.25 mL of Salmonella typhimurium (ST) containing 10⁵ cfu of viable cells by oral gavage. At 14, 15 and 16 days of age, all chicks in group 3 were treated with FM-B11 in the drinking water at a concentration of 10⁶ cfu/ml. At 21d of age, all chicks in groups 2 and 3, were individually challenged with 5 × 10⁴ sporulated oocysts of E. maxima by oral gavage. At 26d of age, all chicks in groups 2 and 3, were individually challenged with 10⁸ cfu CP; body weight (BW) was recorded prior to challenge. The experiment was terminated at 29 days of age and the following parameters were evaluated: NE-associated mortality, CP lesion scores, CP concentrations in ileum, BW, and body weight gain (BWG). Chicks treated with FM-B11 had significantly (P < 0.05) higher body weight gain after challenge when compared to control challenge chickens. Total mortality was higher in the C group (48.8%) when compared to the C + FM-B11 (12.7%). Even though there was no significant (P > 0.05) difference in lesion score between C and C + FM-B11, group C + FM-B11 had significantly (P < 0.05) lower total number of cfu of CP recovered from the ileal mucosa and content samples when compared to group C. Experiment 2 was a unique and remarkable case report of a field outbreak of NE in a commercial broiler farm in Argentina. A reduction and control of the mortality associated with NE following 3 days of administration of FM-B11 was observed as compared with the control non treated house. These results imply that the commercially available Lactobacillus-based probiotic FM-B11 was able to reduce the severities of NE, as a secondary bacterial infection, in an experimental NE challenge model; as well as, in a commercial field outbreak of NE.

Lactobacillus; Necrotic Enteritis; Salmonella; Coccidiosis; Probiotic

S. Layton, X. Hernandez-Velasco, S. Chaitanya, J. Xavier, A. Menconi, J. Latorre, G. Kallapura, V. Kuttappan, R. Wolfenden, R. Filho, B. Hargis and G. Téllez, "The Effect of a Lactobacillus-Based Probiotic for the Control of Necrotic Enteritis in Broilers," Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 11A, 2013, pp. 1-7. doi: 10.4236/fns.2013.411A001.