Approval in-feed antibiotic for salmonids
Aquaflor® (florfenicol) has become the first and only antibiotic approved in the US for controlling mortality in freshwater-reared salmonids due to Flavobacterium psychrophilum (coldwater disease), which causes mortality rates of 30 to 45% annually in hatchery-reared trout and salmon.
have shown Aquaflor to be highly effective against coldwater disease. In
steelhead trout, for example, fingerlings treated with the antibiotic had 60%
less mortality than untreated controls, even though initiation of treatment was
delayed far beyond what would be typical in most field situations.
Especially for food animals
Unlike sulfa drugs and
tetracyclines, this unique antibiotic was developed specifically for use in food
animal species. Studies have shown that Aquaflor can be used in trout and other
freshwater-reared salmonids, from sac fry to food fish, with no reduction in
feed consumption or growth. The product’s short, 15-day withdrawal period gives
producers ample flexibility when marketing fish.
Industry is
happy
Developed by Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation, the
new antibiotic has been proven worldwide to be effective against a wide range of
bacteria in several aquatic species. It is also highly palatable and has an
excellent safety profile for fish, human food and the environment. “This
approval is really big news for our industry,” said John Bechtel, president of
the US Trout Farmers Association. “It’s been a long, long time since we’ve had a
new antibiotic and we desperately need one.
Related
websites:
Aquaflor
Shering-Plough Animal Health
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