In poultry, like in any other monogastric or pre-ruminant animal species, Baytril® exhibits rapid and high oral bioavailability. During a drinking water therapy with Baytril®, efficacious serum concentrations (broilers, broilers and turkeys) are swiftly reached and properly maintained.

Equally or even more important is that Baytril® distributes easily into target body compartments (broilers, turkeys), e.g. the respiratory tract tissues, at concentrations well above the minimal inhibitory concentrations - MICs - of those poultry pathogens for which clinical efficacy is being claimed.

Intracellular accumulation and activity of antimicrobials is important not only for obligate or facultative intracellular bacteria (e.g. mycoplasmas, salmonellas) but also for any pathogenic bacteria to be phagocytized by polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Studies across several animal and human species have shown that intracellular concentrations of fluoroquinolones and enrofloxacin largely exceed those of the extracellular, interstitial fluids and that such concentrations actively kill intracellular bacteria. In addition enrofloxacin does not impair, even stimulates phagocytic activity ("respiratory burst activity") of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.