EFFICACY OF A COMMERCIAL COMPETITIVE-EXCLUSION PRODUCT AGAINST A CHICKEN PATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA-COLI AND E-COLI 0157 H7/

The prevention of caecal colonisation of chicks by a poultry pathogeni c Escherichia coli O20:K-:H8 and the human pathogenic E coli O157:H7 w as studied in vivo in four one-week laboratory trials. Chicks were tre ated with a competitive exclusion product on the day of hatch and chal lenged one day later. The poultry pathogenic serotype showed higher le vels of caecal colonisation than the human pathogenic serotype, but th e protection against both pathogens was highly significant.