Phage Isolations from Nature and the Environment for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Escherichia coli Infection (Colibacillosis) in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to isolate and test efficacy of phage for prophylaxis and treatment of E.coli causing collibacillosis in broiler chickens. Fifty chickens were divided into 5 groups; the 1^st group was a control, given neither organisms nor phage, 2^nd group was daily spraying phage for 3 consecutive days without E. coli, 3^rd group was once spraying 10⁵ cfu/ml of E. coli with following 10¹⁰ pfu/ml phage for 3 consecutive days, 4^th group was spraying E. coli after that administered norfloxacin within 2 hours at a dose of 10 mg/kg for 3 consecutive days, 5^th group was given only E. coli by aerosol spray. The results in this study showed that the morbidity and mortality rates were low both control (1^st group) and spray with phage (2^nd group), 20%, 20% and 10%; respectively. The birds exposed aerosol spray with only E. coli as 5^th group were high morbidity and mortality rates with 70% and 70%. However, the chickens were administered with either phage plus E. coli (3^rd group) or norfloxacin plus E. coli (5^th group) were low morbidity and mortality, the same as control group, 30%, 10% and 30% and 20%; respectively. This study concluded that phage was no toxic in the broilerchickens. Phages had provided comparable advantages with norfloxacin for treatment of E. coli infection. This phage demonstrated highly significant decreasing pathogenic E. coli with 44.44%. Morbidity and mortality rates of 3^rd group and 4^th group had no significant (p ≥ 0.05).