General Description
Antibiotic residues in foods pose a serious threat to public health. This is especially true of the Fluoroquinolones, a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics whose use in both humans and animals is restricted in many countries due to the quantity and severity of potential adverse effects. These effects occur during or even long after use and include central nervous system toxicity, peripheral neuropathy, blood disorders, and brain, liver, endocrine, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal dysfunction. The FDA has recommended black box warnings for all Fluoroquinolone antibiotics due to the risk of tendonitis and tendon rupture. Several Fluoroquinolones have been removed from clinical use due to human fatalities. Side effects are most severe among the elderly and in children. Fluoroquinolones are not approved or are severely restricted for use in children in many countries and should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Although banned for use in all food animals in Australia, as well as poultry and fish in the United States (due to the sharp increase in Ciprofloxicin resistant Campylobacter infections transmitted to humans), Fluoroquinolones are routinely used for veterinary treatment in a variety of food animals in many countries, including China, most countries in the EU and Japan. Fluoroquinolones are administered to treat infections and are also given prophylactically in feed or drinking water. The monitoring of water sources and food products such as meat and milk for antibiotic residues is necessary to ascertain that these compounds are not misused and do not present a danger to human or animal health.
COA
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