Antibiotic Residues - A Global Health Hazard
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookot, Wayanad, Kerala -673576
Abstract
Use of Antibiotic that might result in deposition of residues in meat, milk and eggs must not be permitted in food intended for human consumption. If use of antibiotics is necessary as in prevention and treatment of animal diseases, a withholding period must be observed until the residues are negligible or no longer detected. The use of antibiotics to bring about improved performance in growth and feed efficiency, to synchronize or control of reproductive cycle and breeding performance also often lead to harmful residual effects. Concern over antibiotic residues in food of animal origin occurs in two times; one which produces potential threat to direct toxicity in human, second is whether the low levels of antibiotic exposure would result in alteration of microflora, cause disease and the possible development of resistant strains which cause failure of antibiotic therapy in clinical situations. A withdrawal period is established to safeguard human from exposure of antibiotic added food. The withdrawal time is the time required for the residue of toxicological concern to reach safe concentration as defined by tolerance. It is the interval from the time an animal is removed from medication until permitted time of slaughter. Heavy responsibility is placed on the veterinarian and livestock producer to observe the period for a withdrawal of a drug prior to slaughter to assure that illegal concentration of drug residue in meat, milk and egg do not occur. Use of food additives may improve feed efficiency 17% in beef cattle, 10% in lambs, 15% in poultry and 15% in swine. But their indiscriminate use will produce toxicity in consumers. WHO and FAO establish tolerances for a drug, pesticide or other chemical in the relevant tissues of food producing animals. The tolerance is the tissue concentration below, which a marker residue for the drug or chemical must fall in the target tissue before that animal edible tissues are considered safe for human consumption. Tolerances are established based on extensive toxicological studies of potential hazards of consumption to human. Keywords: Antibiotic, Residues, Global Health, Hazard, Meat, Milk, Egg, Drug, Animals, Human, Toxicology, Treatment, Withholding period. Antibiotics as Growth Promoter
poultry are responsive to antibiotic mediated growth
The antibiotics nowadays used for improved
performance in growth especially in broilers and
Antibiotics in Therapeutics
fatteners. They may produce improved growth rate
Indiscriminating use of antibiotics in all cases of
because of thinning of mucous membrane of the gut,
pyrexia, inflammation, wounds and viral diseases have
facilitating better absorption, altering gut motility to
widespread residual effects on edible tissues. The use
enhance better assimilation, producing favorable
of antibiotics only in specific conditions is justified
conditions to beneficial microbes in the gut of animal
because the roll of microbial agents is mainly to kill the
by destroying harmful bacteria and partitioning proteins
to muscle accretion by suppressing monokines. Antibiotics in Prophylaxis
Antibiotics also favour growth by decreasing degreeof activity of the immune system, reduced waste of
nutrients and reduce toxin for mation. In most
therapeutic levels of antibiotics to prevent possible
of the cases only young growing animals and
infection. But the antibiotics are specific to their
Present address : Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary ans
Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, Thrissur, Kerala - 680651
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Antibiotic Residues - A Global Health Hazard
spectrum of activity only in the active multiplying stage
Techniques used for Detection and Analysis of
of bacteria. But it will not provide overall protection. Drug Residues
Only in certain cases like dry cow therapy and surgical
procedures are wanting of antibiotic prophylaxis. Miscellaneous use of Antibiotics
Antimicrobials are used either directly or
indirectly during the production processing and storageof milk and milk products. Direct contamination of milk
Pathological Effects produced by Antibiotic
may occur from air and water during processing,
Residues in Food
storage and transportation. Besides feed given to
Transfer of antibiotic resistant bacteria to the
animals is also source of indirect contamination. Man
will be the ultimate consumer of these antibiotic
There are some causes of miscellaneous use
like lack of awareness, lack of extension activities,
inadequate literature supplied by manufacturers, lack
of safer drugs and exploitation of more production and
chloramphenicol, furazolidone, nitrofurazone,
sulphonamide drugs, and flouroquinolones in lactating
Table. - 1. Maximum Residues Limit (MRL) (ug/kg) for veterinary residues. ANTIBIOTIC
Other chemotherapeutics (Chloramphenicol, Novobiocine)
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Antibiotic Residues - A Global Health Hazard
Residues Prevention
The first step in residue prevention is to make
surveillance of microbial residue in edible
individuals and organizations aware of the
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P.M.(1974): Food Cosmet toxicol. 12:681. A human case of rabies reported to have survived in Brazil
On 14 Oct 2008, the Department of Epidemiological Surveillance (DES), Department of Health Surveillance,Ministry of Health (MOH), through the state Department of Health of Pernambuco, was notified of a suspectedcase of human rabies from the municipality of Floresta. The epidemiological investigation was initiated byEpidemiological Surveillance of the city, together with the Pernambuco Department of Health. This is a boy of 15years, with report of aggressive attack by a hematophagous bat and the initiation of symptoms on 6 Oct 2008,who was then transferred to the University Hospital Osvaldo Cruz of the University of Pernambucoon 10 Oct2008. The patient received 4 doses of vaccine against rabies before the start of symptoms (the USA CDCrecommends 5 doses of vaccine post-exposure). The incubation period was approximately 29 days. A hairfollicle biopsy of the region of the nape of the neck was tested positive for rabies virus through reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), nested PCR and genetic sequencing, at the Pasteur Institute-SP Laboratory. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit on 11 Oct 2008 and on 13 Oct, 2008 the patient wasintubated and the Milwaukee treatment protocol was initiated, which was used in a patient with rabies in 2004 inthe United States. On 30 Oct 2008, he was brought out of the induced coma and on11 Nov 2008, the patient isunsedated and is clinically stable. The successful outcome of this patient, as well as the cure observed in thepatient in the United States, opens rather promising prospects for treatment of this disease, which so far isconsidered to have a case fatality rate of 100 percent. Survival in children who received treatment with rabies-immune serum or immunoglobulin before the onset of symptoms is well recognized. The factors that lead tosurvival are not well known, however, passive and active immunization, above a certain age seem to be importantdeterminants
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CAPITOL ANALYSTS NETWORK, INC. Stuart J. Sweet, President June 6, 2003 IF CONGRESS HELPS GRANDMA PAY FOR HER MEDS, WHO WINS? With the tax cut fight behind us, Washington’s attention has turned to the pharmaceuticalindustry. Next Thursday, the Senate Finance Committee is expected to begin publicdeliberations over how to structure an outpatient pharmaceutical benefit as part of the M
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