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 pathogenic Escherichia coli 020:K-:H8 and the human pathogenic E coli 0157:H7 was studied in vivo in four oneweek laboratory trials. Chicks were treated with a competitive exclusion product on the day of hatch and challenged one day later. The poultry pathogenic serotype showed higher levels of caecal colonisation than the human pathogenic serotype, but the protection against both pathogens was highly significant.