[Poisoning due to ionophore anticoccidial drugs in poultry]

Ionophore polyether antibiotics are used as anticoccidial drugs in poultry. However, these pharmaceutical agents are also being increasingly used as growth-promoting substances in stock and pig farming. Overdosage of ionophore anticoccidial drugs may cause typical symptoms of poisoning, viz. paralysis and an increased proportion of rejects. In addition to providing a method for detecting a high dosage in the feed, histological examination and determination of the creatine phosphokinase level of the serum are found to be of importance. The ionophore anticoccidial drugs used and their incompatibility with therapeutical agents are reviewed in tabular form. Seven cases of poisoning in broilers, laying hens, breeding birds and turkeys in the province of Gelderland are also reported.