The use of furoxone: a perspective

Acute infectious diarrhoea is a widespread cause of morbidity and mortality. Some of the major diarrhoeal diseases are cholera, typhoid fever, shigellosis (bacillary dysentery), salmonellosis, "travellers' diarrhoea", and giardiasis These diseases can be avoided with proper education, sanitation, and hygiene. However, the majority of these diseases occur most frequently in areas of the world where political and social upheaval, poverty, overcrowding, and a lack of education prevail. Although vaccines are available for some of the diseases, they are not completely effective. Antimicrobial therapy is effective in decreasing the duration and severity of diarrhoea and in reducing the likelihood of relapses, complications, and death. An antimicrobial drug for the treatment of acute infectious diarrhoeal disease must be relatively specific, effective, and safe, and it should not promote the development of resistant bacteria. Furazolidone (Furoxone) has been used for 30 years for the specific and symptomatic treatment of bacterial or protozoal diarrhoea and enteritis caused by susceptible organisms. Its effectiveness has often been shown to be comparable or superior to that of other drugs. In addition, the toxicity of furazolidone is relatively low, and it minimizes the development of resistant organisms. These characteristics should contribute to the continued use of furazolidone as a rational choice in the treatment of acute infectious diarrhoeal diseases that occur worldwide.