Clinicopathological changes associated with Campylobacter jejuni inecftion in broilers

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuniand its clinicopathological changes in broiler chickens in Sharkia province. About 50 diarrheic broilerchicks' cloacal swabs were collected for bacteriological examination. Out of 50 examined swabs; 12 (24%) were positive for Campylobacter [4; C. coli 4 and 8; C. jejuni]. Isolated Campylobacterwassensitive to neomycin and gentamycin. About 45 healthy one-day-old broilerchickens received 5 mg pefloxacin/kg Bw for 5 days to exclude bacterial infections. At 14 th day broilers were divided into 3 groups (15/ each). First group; healthy broilers non-treated (control),broilers in 2 nd and 3 rd groups were infected with C. jejuni. 2 nd group were infected and nontreated, while 3 rd group infected, and treated with 15 mg neomycin/kg Bw. in drinking water for 5 days. At 1 st ,7 th and14 th day post treatment cloacal swabs were collected for re-isolation C. jejuni besideblood samples were collected for hematobiochemical study.Infectedbroilers showed offfood, depression, ruffled feather, diarrhea and mortality rate 40% beside significant decrease in body performance, total protein albumin and non-significant decrease in globulin coupled with non-significant elevation in RBCs, HB, PCV%, significant elevation in WBCs, AST, ALT, ALP, urea and creatinine.Treatment infected broilers byneomycin lead to disappear clinical sing, reduced mortality rate and improved hematobiochemical parameters. It could be concluded thatCampylobacter infection induces reversible adverse effect on body performance andhematobiochemical parameters. Neomycin is highly curative against campylobacters