Tulathromycin A is a macrolide antibiotic [1].Antibiotics are a type of antimicrobial used in the treatment and prevention of bacterial infection.
Two highly pathogenic strains of M. bovis were incubated into 145 calves. Four days later, calves with clinical BRD were treated subcutaneously with tulathromycin or saline (2.5 mg/kg). BRD-related withdrawals, peak rectal temperatures, and lung lesion scores were significantly lower for tulathromycin-treated calves [2]. In the treatment of cattle at high risk of developing bovine respiratory disease, the cure rate treated with tulathromycin (78%) and tilmicosin (65%) was significantly higher than that treated with saline (23.8%). The cure rate treated with tulathromycin (78.4%) was also significantly higher than tilmicosin (64.9%) [3].
The lowest tulathromycin concentrations inhibiting the 90% growth of isolates (MIC90) were 2 μg/ml for Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica, 1 μg/ml for Pasteurella multocida (bovine), and 2 μg/ml for Pasteurella multocida (porcine) and ranged from 0.5-4 μg/ml for Histophilus somni and from 4-16 μg/ml for Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae [1]. Tulathromycin has been approved for use in the treatment and prevention of swine and bovine respiratory disease [1].
References:
[1]. Godinho KS, et al. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of tulathromycin against respiratory bacterial pathogens isolated from clinical cases in European cattle and swine and variability arising from changes in in vitro methodology.Vet Ther, 2005, 6(2): 113-121.
[2]. Godinho KS, et al. Efficacy of tulathromycin in the treatment of bovine respiratory disease associated with induced Mycoplasma bovis infections in young dairy calves.Vet Ther, 2005, 6(2): 96-112.
[3]. Kilgore WR, Spensley MS, Sun F, et al. Therapeutic efficacy of tulathromycin, a novel triamilide antimicrobial, against bovine respiratory disease in feeder calves.Vet Ther, 2005, 6(2): 143-153.