Efficacy of doxycycline in feed for the control of pneumonia caused by Pasteurella multocida and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in fattening pigs

Abstract

A multicentre, controlled, randomised and blinded study was carried out in three French pig herds to assess the efficacy of doxycycline administered in the feed for the control of pneumonia. About 20 per cent of 363 pigs from the three fattening units were diseased at the start of the study. Pneumonic lesions were found on pigs examined postmortem and Pasteurella multocida was isolated from the lungs of pigs in all the herds. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection was confirmed either by detection in pneumonic lungs or by seroconversion in pigs sampled three weeks apart. P multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae were isolated from 64 per cent, 50 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively, of 148 nasal swabs. The following variables were significantly different between the treated and untreated groups (P < or = 0.001): the incidence of diseased pigs during the three weeks from the start of treatment (8.1 per cent in treated group v 35.4 per cent in control group), mean daily weight gain over the same period (934 g/day in the treated group v 834 g/day in the control group) and the cure rate of pigs which were diseased at the start of treatment (73.5 per cent in treated group v 35.3 per cent in control group). These data demonstrate that an average dose of 11 mg doxycycline/kg bodyweight per day in feed for eight days was effective in controlling pneumonia due to P multocida and M hyopneumoniae in these fattening pigs.

Biology and Diseases of Swine

“…Alternatively, oxytetracycline, ceftiofur, penicillin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, or doxycycline dosed in the feed has been shown to be effective at controlling pneumonia caused by P. multocida and M. hyopneumoniae; however, development of resistance to antibiotics is a concern (Burton et al, 1996;Bousquet et al, 1998;Hormansdorfer and Bauer, 1998). Alternatively, oxytetracycline, ceftiofur, penicillin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, or doxycycline dosed in the feed has been shown to be effective at controlling pneumonia caused by P. multocida and M. hyopneumoniae; however, development of resistance to antibiotics is a concern (Burton et al, 1996;Bousquet et al, 1998;Hormansdorfer and Bauer, 1998).…”

“…Enzootic disease manifests via a dry cough, typically when animals are aroused. Choleraesuis, and S. suis (Bousquet et al, 1998;Cowart, 1995). Although younger pigs may be affected, generally clinical signs are not obvious until pigs are 3-6 months of age.…”

“…Treatment Antimicrobials, including lincomycin, tetracyclines, doxycycline in feed, tiamulin, and several quinolone antibiotics, have been shown to be efficacious in reducing the severity of pneumonia and weight reduction due to MPS (Bousquet et al, 1998). This beneficial effect is generally attributed to controlling complicating bacterial infections.…”

Biology and Diseases of Swine

“…Alternatively, oxytetracycline, ceftiofur (Burton et al, 1996), penicillin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, or doxycycline dosed in the feed has been shown to be effective at controlling pneumonia caused by P. multocida and M. hyopneumoniae (Bousquet et al, 1998). Alternatively, oxytetracycline, ceftiofur (Burton et al, 1996), penicillin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, or doxycycline dosed in the feed has been shown to be effective at controlling pneumonia caused by P. multocida and M. hyopneumoniae (Bousquet et al, 1998).…”

“…Although mortality is low and morbidity typically less than 25%, clinical disease will confound cardiovascular studies and surgical models because it causes pericarditis, pleuritis, and peritonitis. Bacteria that frequently complicate MPS and are clinical differentials include Pasteurella multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Salmonella choleraesuis, and Streptococcus suis (Bousquet et al, 1998;Cowart, 1995). Although younger pigs may be affected, generally clinical signs are not obvious until pigs are 3-6 months of age.…”