Therapeutic efficacy of medicating drinking water with spectinomycin and lincomycin-spectinomycin in experimental Escherichia coli infection in poultry.

Although no microbiological activity was found in blood plasma during treatment of broilers through the drinking water with spectinomycin or lincomycin-spectinomycin, these drugs proved highly effective in treating experimentally induced colibacillosis. This efficacy may be produced by a metabolite or a degradation product of spectinomycin that reaches the infection site in the respiratory tract and interferes with adherence of bacteria.