Influence of fructo-oligosaccharides on the course of turkey haemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV) and Salmonella typhimurium infections.

摘要

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of administering a compound feed containing various fructooligosaccharides (FOS) on the health of turkeys infected with haemorrhagic enteritis virus (HEV) and Salmonella typhimurium (ST). Investigations were performed in 270 young, male, BUT-9 turkeys which were divided into 3 groups consisting of 90 birds each. Group I received a compound feed without FOS, whereas groups II and III received feed with 2% addition of chicory fine flour and standard FOS from chicory, respectively. At the age of 8 weeks, a total of 13 birds from each group were injected per os with HE virus at a dose of 104.6EID50/ml. After 5 days, 3 birds from each group were slaughtered with the aim of defining their susceptibility to HEV. The 10 remaining turkeys were infected with ST (one ml of a bacterial suspension PBS with a concentration of 9x109 jtk/ml into the croup). The birds were clinically observed for 12 days. Blood samples were taken from 5 birds of each group on days 5 and 12 following infection, after which 3 of the turkeys were slaughtered, anatomopathologically examined and cuttings of the liver and caecum were collected for bacteriological examination. The turkeys which received feed containing FOS did not succumb to ST infection, because 5 days following infection, the bacteria was isolated only from the caecum, whereas it was additionally isolated from the liver in the case of turkeys who had received feed not containing FOS. The biochemical results from the groups of turkeys fitting within physiological norms and receiving feed containing FOS proved that there was no general ST infection and that FOS did not negatively influence the turkeys. Five days after infection, there was an increase of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the 3 groups of turkeys receiving feed without FOS. The results did not unanimously prove that FOS slowed down ST infections, but they did encourage further research on this issue..