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Abstract
Cost effective control of avian diseases and food borne pathogens remains a high priority
for all sectors of the poultry industry with cleansing and disinfection, vaccination
and competitive exclusion approaches being used widely. Previous studies showed that
Bacillus subtilis PY79(hr) was an effective competitive exclusion agent for use in
poultry to control avian pathogenic Escherichia coli serotype O78:K80. Here we report
experiments that were undertaken to test the efficacy of B. subtilis PY79(hr) in the
control of Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis and Clostridium perfringens in
young chickens. To do this, 1-day-old and 20-day-old specific pathogen free (SPF)
chicks were dosed with a suspension of B. subtilis spores prior to challenge with
S. Enteritidis (S1400) and C. perfringens, respectively. For both challenge models,
a single oral inoculum of 1x10(9) spores given 24h prior to challenge was sufficient
to suppress colonisation and persistence of both S. Enteritidis and C. perfringens.
In particular, the faecal shedding of S. Enteritidis, as measured by a semi-quantitative
cloacal swabbing technique, was reduced significantly for the 36 days duration of
the experiment. B. subtilis persisted in the intestine although with decreasing numbers
over the same period. These data add further evidence that B. subtilis spores may
be effective agents in the control of avian diseases and food borne pathogens.