Analysis of fluoroquinolones in dusts from intensive livestock farming and the co-occurrence of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli

Abstract

Fluoroquinolones are important therapeutics in human and veterinary medicine. This study aimed to retrospectively analyse sedimentation dusts from intensive-livestock-farming barns for fluoroquinolones and investigate the association between resistant Escherichia coli and the detected drugs. Sedimentation-dust samples (n = 125) collected (1980–2009) at 14 barns of unknown-treatment status were analysed by HPLC and tandem-mass spectroscopy to detect enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, marbofloxacin, and difloxacin. Recent microbiological data were included to investigate the relationship between fluoroquinolone presence and fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli. Fifty-nine dust samples (47%) from seven barns contained fluoroquinolone residues. Up to three different fluoroquinolones were detected in pig and broiler barns. Fluoroquinolone concentrations ranged from 10-pg/mg to 46-ng/mg dust. Fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli were isolated from four barns. Of all the dust samples, 22% contained non-susceptible isolates. Non-susceptible isolate presence in the dust was significantly associated (p = 0.0283) with detecting the drugs, while drug detection increased the odds (4-fold) of finding non-susceptible E. coli (odds ratio = 3.9877, 95% CI: 1.2854–12.3712). This retrospective study shows that fluoroquinolone usage leads to dust contamination. We conclude that farmers and animals inhale/swallow fluoroquinolones and fluoroquinolone-resistant bacteria due to drug application. Furthermore, uncontrolled drug emissions via air exhausted from the barns can be assumed.

Effects of enrofloxacin treatment on the bacterial microbiota of milk from goats with persistent mastitis

“…In addition, cross-resistance between enrofloxacin and other antimicrobials of the same class as human ciprofloxacin can occur 98,99 . There is a need for attention to bacterial resistance to enrofloxacin 6,100,101 and concern about the presence of residues of this drug in human foods 102,103 , in dusts from intensive livestock farming 101 and the dissemination of livestock waste for wildlife 104 . The use of antimicrobial agents in the food industry can indiscriminately impact human health and presents a high cost to society in terms of AMR; the only way to avoid this is to ensure their judicious use 6,105 .…”

Distribution of Medically Relevant Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Mobile Genetic Elements in Soils of Temperate Forests and Grasslands Varying in Land Use

“…Although aac(6 )-lb was not correlated with nitrogen input from organic fertilizers, manure could contribute to transfer of fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides into soils, as surface water run-offs, dust or wild animals could distribute the antibiotics or ARB into different areas [62,[89][90][91]. This might partly explain the frequent detection of aac(6 )-lb in grassland soils with and without history of organic fertilization.…”

Agreement of Benchmarking High Antimicrobial Usage Farms Based on Either Animal Treatment Index or Number of National Defined Daily Doses

“…On the other hand, it must also be taken into account that development of bacterial resistance also occurs outside the animal by excreted metabolites after antimicrobial therapy. In this situation, the quantities of antimicrobials used on a farm should also be taken into account (41,42). These can be derived more reliably from DDDs, where standard weights and dosages are used and thus standardized antimicrobial quantities.…”