The Effects of Prolonged Chloramphnicol Administration on Heamatological Parameters and Histophatology of Liver, Kidney and Spleen in Broiler Chicken

Chloramphenicol a broad spectrum antibiotic was tested on broiler birds to evaluate the effect of its prolonged administration on heamatological parameters, identification of histopathological changes on organs (Liver, Spleen and Kidneys) and to determine if prolonged effect has effects on weight gain and mortality rate.

One hundred and twenty day old chicks from Kamadex Ibadan were used for the experiment. The birds were assign to two (2) treatments and control group each replicated in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD), birds in treatment one (T1) were administered normal dose of Chloramphenicol (250 mg/Kg), while treatment two (T2) were served with triple dose in medicated water served ad-lib for seven weeks, while the control (T3) were served with un-medicated water ad-lib. Samples (blood, liver, kidney and spleen) were collected and analyzed after 8 weeks of the experiment.

Birds showed significant variations in heamatological values across treatments. Lymphocysts count: treatment two (T2) was higher than the treatment one (T1) whereas that of (T3) was found to be less, compared to those of T1 and T2. Heterophils: T3 was higher than the T1 while that of T2 was less as compared to T3 and T1. Basophil: T1 was higher than T3 while that of T2 was less. A lower value was observed in weight gain with birds on T2 as compared to T1 and T3. The liver of birds on T1 and T2 were significantly larger than those on T3. High mortality was recorded in birds on T2 compared to those in T3 and T2.

The histopathological pictures of the liver, kidney and the Spleen depict a varying degree of necrosis and hemorrhagic foci on all the organs, the changes were much severe on T2 as compared to those of T1 and T3.