Control of Escherichia coli in Poultry Using the In Ovo Injection Technique

• Published in: Antibiotics (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 3; p. 205
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Gabriel da Silva, McManus, Concepta, Dos Santos, Vinícius Machado
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22-02-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Amnion; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial peptides; antimicrobials; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Chemical compounds; Crystals; E coli; egg microbiology; Eggs; Embryos; Escherichia coli; Food safety; Foodborne pathogens; Hygiene; in-ovo injection; Infections; Injection; microbial reduction; Microbiota; Microorganisms; Mortality; Pathogens; Peptides; Poultry; poultry microbiology; poultry safety; Probiotics; Review; Toxicity; poultry safety; antimicrobials; in-ovo injection; poultry microbiology; microbial reduction; egg microbiology
• ISSN: 2079-6382; 2079-6382
• DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13030205

Pathogens, such as
(
.
), have been identified as significant causes of poultry mortality. Poultry can serve as potential sources of
.
transmission, even when asymptomatic, posing a substantial threat to food safety and human health. The in ovo administration of antimicrobials is crucial for preventing and/or effectively combating acute and chronic infections caused by poultry pathogens. To achieve this goal, it is critical that antimicrobials are properly injected into embryonic fluids, such as the amnion, to reach target tissues and trigger robust antimicrobial responses. Several protocols based on antimicrobials were evaluated to meet these requirements. This review analyzed the impacts of antimicrobial substances injected in ovo on the control of
.
in poultry. The reduction in infection rates, resulting from the implementation of in ovo antimicrobials, combined with efforts aimed at hygienic-sanitary action plans in poultry sheds, reinforces confidence that
.
can be contained before causing large scale damage. For example, antimicrobial peptides and probiotics have shown potential to provide protection to poultry against infections caused by
. Issues related to the toxicity and bacterial resistance of many synthetic chemical compounds represent challenges that need to be overcome before the commercial application of in ovo injection protocols focused on microbiological control.