Effect of Lincomycin and Spectinomycin on Swine Dysentery

Abstract

Swine dysentery was established by contact in eighty crossbred pigs averaging 17.6 kg live weight. The agents (Treponema hyodysenteriae and Vibrio coli) believed associated with the disease were cultured, isolated, and identified by biochemical criteria and morphological characterization. Although mortality in medicated animals did not occur, tissue necrosis, intestinal bleeding and other clinical symptoms did exist with significant (P<.05) differences among treatments. Six of 17 pigs in the challenged group of pigs which received medication died. Two strains of T. hyodysenteriae and three strains of V. coli were tested for sensitivity to lincomycin (L) or to spectinomycin (S). Both strains of T. hyodysenteriae were resistant to S but sensitive to lincomycin. One strain of V. coli was resistant to L; whereas two stains were not. All three V. coli strains were sensitive to S. The combination of L and S, 1:1 ratio, (LS) and L alone reduced the incidence of intestinal bleeding (P<.05) and also decreased the incidence of tissue necrosis observed at necropsy when compared with the effect of S or no antibiotic in the diet. Copyright © 1975. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1975 by American Society of Animal Science.