Effect of Experimental Clostridium perfringens Infection on Some Immunological, Hematological and Biochemical Values in Broiler Chickens

Abstract

This study aimed to demonstrate the effect of Clostridium perfringens (Cl. perfringens) infection on broiler chickens. Also, to compare between the effect of amoxicillin and / or organic acids on Cl. perfringens infection through the evaluation of hemogram, blood chemistry, hepato-renal functions and immune response using ELISA technique. One hundred, one-day old Hubbard chicks were divided into five equal groups. Group 1: negative control, Group 2: infected broilers with Cl. perfringens type A (1.9×10 9 organism/mL), Group 3: infected chickens and treated with amoxicillin [15 mg/kg body weight (B.W.)] for 5 successive days, Group 4: chickens were administered organic acids (1 mL /L water) then were infected and Group 5: infected chickens then treated with both amoxicillin and organic acids. Cl. perfringens infection resulted in decreased appetite, ruffled feathers and brownish diarrhea with sudden death in some cases with a mortality rate up to 25%. Birds infected and treated with amoxicillin showed mild clinical signs with 15% mortalities. Majority of chickens supplemented with organic acids or with organic acids and amoxicillin followed by Cl. perfringens infection showed depression with a mild diarrhea and 10% mortality rate. Chickens infected with Cl. perfringens had macrocytic hypochromic anemia, leukocytosis, heterophilia and monocytosis. In addition, a significant decrease of total protein, albumin, phagocytic % and phagocytic index with a significant increase of total golbulins, liver enzymes activities, serum uric acid, creatinine and glucose levels were reported. Treatment of Cl. perfringens infection with amoxicillin, organic acids alone or their combination resulted in a positive effect in treatment, ameliorating the severity of infection and a significant improvement in some immunological and biochemical parameters. In conclusion, the combination of amoxicillin and organic acids showed the best results as it returned all hematological, biochemical and immunological parameters to their normal levels.

Essential Oils and Organic Acid Blends Potentially Enhance Growth and Ameliorate Enteritis and Inflammatory Response After Challenge with Clostridium perfringens in Chickens

“…The appeared clinical signs in the infected group may be attributed to disturbance in the metabolic activity in liver caused by Clostridium toxins as recorded previously by Johansson, (2006) and Saleh et al (2011). Although, in the infected-treated chickens milder clinical symptoms and lower mortality rates appeared which might be related to efficacy of EOs and OAs blends either alone or in combination in controlling of necrotic enteritis as previously proved (Eid et al, 2018;Khodary et al, 2019;Pham et al, 2020;Kumar et al, 2021).…”

“…The hyperglobulinemia is mainly due to the bacterial septicemia that lead to lymphocyte stimulation, and differentiation into T and B types resulting in increase of globulins levels and acquired immune response (Coles, 1986). Also, Salah et al (2015) and Khodary et al (2019) reported a significant increase in the serum total protein and globulin levels in C. perfringens-infected chickens. In contrast, El-Sheikh et al (2018) reported that there was a significant decrease in serum levels of globulins in C. perfringensinfected chickens.…”

Impacts of Microbial based Therapy on Growth Performance, Intestinal Health, Carcass Traits and Economic Efficiency of Clostridium perfringens‐Infected Cobb and Arbor Acres Broilers

“…Similar findings by Abudabos et al (Abudabos et al, 2018;Abudabos & Yehia, 2013) dressing percentage and feed intake at the third week. Moreover, other studies (Elbayoumi et al, 2014) have reported that the groups challenged with C. perfringens were the most affected in their average weekly body weight and FCR during the first week of postinfection, while the groups treated with the antibiotics showed improved body weight and FCR. The results of TWG from zero to fifth week were in line with those obtained by Miller et al, 2010, who stated that the greater weight gains were recorded from 0 to 35-day period in all the bird groups treated with phages compared to the challenged control.…”

“…The live body weight (BW) was monitored weekly to calculate body weight gain (WG). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated as reported by Elbayoumi et al, 2014. Also, dead birds in each group were recorded daily to calculate the mortality rate as described by Miller et al, 2010, and European Broiler Index (EBI) was estimated as described by Mathis et al, 2016.…”

Efficacy of administration of ampicillin and/or dimetridazole in the management of experimentally induced necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens.

“…In the present study, broiler chickens treated with ampicillin and DMZ improved RBC count, hemoglobin concentration, PCV% and WBC count. In a previous study, amoxicillin administration in broiler chickens revealed beneficial efficacy against clostridial infections and enhanced the hematological variables (Khodary et al, 2019).…”