Aviguard, a unique natural feed or water additive that helps control costly gut diseases such as salmonella and necrotic enteritis, is being distributed by Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation in selected markets around the world.

Aviguard is a unique, freeze-dried product. One dose is administered to birds by coarse spray in the hatchery or in the drinking water of older birds. It is categorized as a "competitive exclusion" product because it contains natural gut flora that prevent the colonization of harmful bacteria in the intestinal tract.

The product was developed and is manufactured by Microbial Developments Limited (MDL), a biotechnology company in Malvern, England.

"Like vaccines for coccidiosis, Aviguard gives producers a valuable tool for promoting better intestinal health while reducing or even eliminating infeed antibiotics from their programs," says Dr. Charlie Broussard, global technical services director for Schering-Plough Animal Health.

Aviguard can also help improve food safety because it has been shown to control harmful bacteria such as salmonella and pathogenic E. coli, which can be transmitted to people, he notes. In addition, producers using Aviguard have reported seeing drier litter and field reports indicate the product may help prevent hock burn and pododermatitis.

In a published study, Dr. Charles Hofacre of the University of Georgia reported that Aviguard was "superior to virginiamycin and bacitracin MD for increasing broiler body weight gain and reducing feed consumption" in birds with induced necrotic enteritis. In a separate published study, Hofacre and associates also found that Aviguard was "significantly more effective" and yielded better feed efficiency than three other intestinal bioproducts for reducing gross lesions resulting from an induced necrotic enteritis infection.

Broussard adds that "The safety profile is impressive, based on over 2 billion doses sold since the product became available in 1995."

Spring 2008

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