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Efficacy of Aquaflor (50% Florfenicol)–Medicated Feed to Control Mortality Associated with Flavobacterium columnare Infection in Florida Largemouth Bass and Bluegill
Author(s) -
Matthews Michael D.,
Bowker James D.,
Carty Daniel G.,
Wandelear Niccole,
Bowman Molly P.,
Sakmar Joshua C.,
Childress Katherine
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
north american journal of aquaculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.432
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1548-8454
pISSN - 1522-2055
DOI - 10.1080/15222055.2013.786006
Subject(s) - florfenicol , micropterus , biology , bass (fish) , fishery , veterinary medicine , lepomis macrochirus , zoology , aquaculture , microbiology and biotechnology , antibiotics , fish <actinopterygii> , medicine
Aquaflor (florfenicol, 50% with/without) is a potent, broad‐spectrum, antibacterial agent with bacteriostatic properties that are active against a variety of Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. This product is approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for use on several fish species to control mortality associated with a variety of diseases, including columnaris (causative agent, Flavobacterium columnare). Two independent experimental trials were separately conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Aquaflor to control mortality associated with columnaris disease. Aquaflor was administered in feed at a targeted daily florfenicol dosage of 10 mg/kg of body weight for 10 consecutive days. Test species were fingerling Florida Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus and Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus . In each trial, 8 or 10 test tanks (4 or 5 treated, 4 or 5 control) were stocked with either approximately 473 bass (mean length = 6.4 mm; mean weight = 3.3 g) or 100 Bluegills (length = 10.3; weight = 25.2 g). At the end of the 14‐d posttreatment periods, mean cumulative mortality of bass in treated tanks was 5.7% per tank, which was significantly less than that in control tanks (12.0%). Mean cumulative mortality of Bluegills in treated tanks was 19% per tank, which was significantly less than that in control tanks (38%). Analysis of treated feed samples at the start of each trial verified the initial targeted dose of florfenicol was within 11% of the target dose for both bass and Bluegills. Based on these results, we concluded that Aquaflor‐medicated feed homogeneously mixed to provide florfenicol at a daily dose of10 mg/kg of body weight fed for 10 d was effective in controlling mortality in bass and Bluegill fingerlings, exposed to columnaris disease.