Abstract
Background: The widespread indiscriminate application of antibiotics to food crops to control plant disease represents a potential human health risk. In this study, the presence of antibiotic-resistant staphylococci associated with workers and orange orchard environments was determined. A total of 20 orchards (orange and other fruits) were enrolled in the study. Trees in the orange orchards were treated with ampicillin on a pre-determined schedule. Environmental samples (n = 60) included soil, water, and oranges; 152 hand and nasal samples were collected from 76 healthy workers. Antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined for all staphylococcal isolates. Results: This investigation revealed that of the total Staphylococcus spp. recovered from the orange orchard, 30% (3/10) were resistant to erythromycin, 20% (2/10) were resistant to ampicillin, and 20% (2/10) resistant to both erythromycin and ampicillin. Conclusion: The application of antibiotics to orange trees in open production environments to halt the spread of bacterial disease presents risks to the environment and creates health concerns for Thai farmers using those agents. ARB on crops such as oranges may enter the global food supply and adversely affect public health.
Highlights
IntroductionMultidrug-resistant bacteria rank among the world’s most important public health problems of the 21st century
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that if the world neglects taking action, we are heading to a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries will result in death [1]
This study addresses the antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus spp
Summary
Multidrug-resistant bacteria rank among the world’s most important public health problems of the 21st century. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) trends support the perspective of the WHO that worldwide, at least 700,000 people die each year from common diseases, including respiratory tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, urinary tract infections, and foodborne illnesses [2]. More than two million people in the United States suffer from illnesses caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria [ARB] [3]. Considerable attention has focused on the prevalence of ARB associated with food-producing animals and their environment, including commercial farms, feedlots, processing plants, and packing plants, since antibiotics are directly used for growth promotion and the prevention of diseases in food-producing animals [4,5,6,7,8]. ARB and antibiotic residues may accumulate in the agriculture production environment, potentially adversely affecting farmworkers and consumer health
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