Poisoning in a chicken flock caused by sulphachloropyrazine

Pharmacokinetic aspects of a sulphachloropyridazine trimethoprim preparation in normal and diseased fowl

1. The pharmacokinetic and residue elimination patterns of sulphachloropyridazine appear to be modified by disease, even without affecting key organs essential for drug metabolism. 2. Drug kinetics and residue elimination data of a sulphachloropyridazine-trimethoprim preparation were compared using infectious coryza-affected (IC) fowl and healthy chickens. 3. The plasma concentrations of sulphachloropyridazine and trimethoprim were higher in affected animals, hence a reduced volume of distribution was obtained. 4. The half-life of sulphachloropyridazine and trimethoprim was reduced in IC-affected fowl and body clearance values were decreased. 5. The rate of drug residue elimination was noticeably slower in the IC-affected group. 6. These results indicate that drug elimination patterns in healthy and diseased animals are not the same.