THE RISK OF HUMAN EXPOSURE TO ANTIBIOTIC RESIDUES FROM FOOD OF BOTH ANIMAL AND PLANT ORIGIN
Saad M. M.*
ABSTRACT
The misuse of antibiotics in agriculture could yield dramatic effects on both human and environmental health.
Antibiotics were commonly used in agriculture treatments of either animal or plant production. Antibiotics used as
veterinary drugs, therapeutic, prophylactic and feed additives in many countries to enhance and maximize the
production of farm livestock's and aquaculture. As well, antibiotics are applied to plants in order to prevent or
treat bacterial diseases. Estimates of the amounts of antibiotics used in agriculture production worldwide are not
available, but in USA (2011) a collected data revealed that about 14.000 metric tons were sold for use in animal
feeding only and about 3 folds of such quantity were used in preventive and curative programs of livestock
breeding. As well. 36.000 metric tons were applied to different plant crops (McManus, 2014). Roughly about 100
thousand metric tons of antibiotics were applied in only USA annually. Such great amounts of antibiotics lead to
review about the fate of these hazards and exposure of all plant, animal and human to these therapeutic chemicals
and finally to follow the effect of antibiotic residues on environmental, animal, plant and human micro-flora. As
well to follow how pathogenic bacteria become antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Keywords: antibiotics–antimicrobials–pharmaceutical drugs–hazards–risk.
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