Therapeutic effect of lincomycin and spectinomycin water medication on swine dysentery.

The therapeutic effects of various water medications on swine dysentery were determined in 223 pigs under controlled conditions. Carrier pigs were mixed with test animals until the disease was established. Lincomycin (22 mg/liter), spectinomycin (44 mg/liter) alone and lincomycin and spectinomycin in combination (66 mg/liter) and sodium arsanilate (161 mg/liter) in drinking water for seven days were the drugs evaluated. Negative and positive controls were also included. The experiment was terminated 41 to 43 days after initial medication. Mortality, mean value for stool consistency, incidence of dysenteric days and gross lesions of swine dysentery were the parameters measured for each treatment group.The lincomycin-spectinomycin water medication was effective for the treatment of swine dysentery. Pigs treated with lincomycin-spectinomycin had a higher survival rate, a lower incidence of dysenteric days and fewer gross lesions of swine dysentery than pigs treated with sodium arsanilate, lincomycin or spectinomycin alone or the infected controls (P < 0.05).