Ipronidazole in the drinking water for treatment and prevention of experimental swine dysentery.

The addition of ipronidazole to drinking water at concentrations of 50 and 100 mg/L was effective for treatment of experimentally induced swine dysentery in swine because diarrhea receded in most swine within several days after the drug was added. Medicated swine given these concentrations of drug had fewer days of nonhemorrhagic and hemorrhagic diarrhea, higher feed and water consumption, greater body weight gain,and a more favorable feed efficiency than did the nonmedicated, exposed swine. Medicated swine given dosage of 25 mg/L of drinking water had greater frequency of nonhemorrhagic and hemorrhagic diarrhea than did those given the higher concentrations, and diarrhea in some swine did not subside during medication. All medicated swine survived; in contrast, 90% mortality occurred in the nonmedicated swine. In all groups of medicated exposed swine, occasionally there was recurrence of diarrhea.