title: Effect of anti-inflammatory drugs on colibacillosis lesions in broilers after Infectious Bronchitis Virus and subsequent Escherichia coli infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In case of persistent and sterile inflammation, anti-inflammatory drugs should be considered as first choice treatment instead of antibiotics.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of anti-inflammatory drugs on lesions due to colibacillosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five groups of day-old broilers of 15 birds each were housed in isolators and were inoculated at 29 days of age with Infectious Bronchitis Virus strain M41 by the oculo-nasal and IT (intratracheal) route (10(5.4) EID(50) (egg infectious dosis 50)/broiler) and at 33 days of age with Escherichia coli strain 506 by the IT route (10(7.6) colony forming units/broiler). Broilers of four groups were treated from day 28 up to and including day 39 orally on a daily basis with either carbasalate calcium (4 × 12.5 mg), meloxicam (2 × 0.5 mg), acetaminophen (4 × 2.5 mg), or dexamethasone (1 × 1.0 mg). The fifth group was placebo-medicated. At 40 days of age, the experiment was ended and at post-mortem examination, colibacillosis lesions were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All broilers in the dexamethasone group died. This mortality exceeded significantly (p < 0.05) that of the other groups in which mortality ranged from 2 to 5. Mean lesion score of surviving broilers of medicated groups ranged from 5.3 to 5.8 compared to 3.9 in the placebo group and did not differ significantly between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  None of the anti-inflammatory drugs had a positive effect on colibacillosis lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anti-inflammatory drugs cannot be considered as an alternative for antibiotic treatment.
authors.affiliation: GD-Animal Health Service, Deventer, the Netherlands. w.landman@gddeventer.com
authors.forename: W J M
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Landman
authors.forename: M G R
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Matthijs
authors.forename: J H H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: van Eck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002645:Chickens; D018352:Coronavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D001351:Infectious bronchitis virus; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents