Florfenicol is also used in aquaculture, and is licensed for use in the United States for the control of enteric septicemia in catfish.[3]
Since the early 2000s, it has been used in Europe,[4] treating mainly primary or secondary colibacillosis in broiler[5] and parent flocks. It is not allowed in laying hens, due to residues in eggs. It is also indicated in turkey.
The use of florfenicol in horses, and likely in other equids, typically causes diarrhea. This has been anecdotally reported to progress to lethal cases of acute colitis. Therefore, use of this antimicrobial in the equine patient should be limited to cases in which other, safer, options are not available.[6]
Contamination
Florfenicol was among the drug contaminants in a brand of supermarket eggs in Taiwan and Iran.[7]
^Gaunt PS, Langston C, Wrzesinski C, Gao D, Adams P, Crouch L, et al. (October 2013). "Multidose pharmacokinetics of orally administered florfenicol in the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)". Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 36 (5): 502–506. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2885.2012.01426.x. PMID22882087.
^"Florfenicol (Extension to Chicken)"(PDF). Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products. European Medicines Agency. March 1999. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2016-05-10.
^Shen J, Wu X, Hu D, Jiang H (October 2002). "Pharmacokinetics of florfenicol in healthy and Escherichia coli-infected broiler chickens". Research in Veterinary Science. 73 (2): 137–140. doi:10.1016/s0034-5288(02)00033-4. PMID12204631.