ABSTRACT

Pullorum disease is important in the poultry industry because of its worldwide distribution, the huge economic losses it causes and difficulty its control poses. Aims for this study were to establish prevalence of Salmonella pullorum among chicks distributed in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, using cultural, biochemical and serological characteristics; to determine susceptibility of the isolates to commonly used antimicrobials and to attempt solving microbial-resistance to drugs by stabilizing cotrimoxazole with medicinal synthetic aluminum-magnesium silicate (MSAMS). A total of 180 chicks were sampled from four chick depots and two hatcheries in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, for detection and isolation of Salmonella pullorum. Isolates were identified based on their colony morphology, staining characteristics, biochemical reactions and cultural characteristics.  Culture and sensitivity test to antimicrobials commonly used in Nigeria was conducted on each isolate by the disc diffusion method. Different doses of MSAMS-stabilized cotrimoxazole, supported with antioxidants (vitamins A, C and E) in feed were used to treat chicks infected with a cotrimoxazole-resistant Salmonella pullorum isolate. Prevalence rate of 5% was recorded. To ceprorex, 66.7% of the isolates were resistant, 55.6% to nalidixic acid, 33.3% to each of ciproflox, ampicillin, gentamycin and cotrimoxazole. Some isolates were also resistant to each of augmentin, tarivid and reflacine (22.2%) but none (0 %) was resistant to streptomycin. Mean of rectal temperature (41.32 0C) of chicks infected with cotrimoxazole -resistant Salmonella pullorum isolate and treated at 75% dose of cotrimoxazole with MSAMS-stabilized formulation   and with antioxidants was significantly (P ≤ 0.5) lower than other treated groups, but there was no significant difference (P ≥ 0.05) in weight of Salmonella pullorum infected chicks treated with cotrimoxazole and weight of those, not treated. Rate of infection-reduction (96.23%) was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in  the group treated with 75% dose of cotrimoxazole  stabilized with  MSAMS and  antioxidants than in groups treated with 75% dose of MSAMS-stabilized cotrimoxazole alone (94.98%) pand the group treated  with  100%  of un-stabilized cotrimoxazole (76.99 %).