Chloramphenicol is an antibiotic that was derived from the bacterium Streptomyces venezuelae and is now produced synthetically. Chloramphenicol is effective against a wide variety of microorganisms, but due to serious side effects (eg damage to the bone marrow) in humans, it is usually reserved for the treatment of serious and life threatening infections (eg typhoid fever). It is also used in eye drops or ointment to treat bacterial conjunctivitis.
