Fluoroquinolone Use in Food Animals

摘要

To the Editor: Two recent articles(1,2) show that fluoroquinolone use infood animals is associated with infec-tions by antimicrobial drug–resistantstrains of Campylobacter in humans.These infections cause problems intreating illnesses as well as increasedrates of illness and death (3). Despitea large body of scientific evidence anda judicial review (1–3) that showharmful results in many persons,some members of the poultry andpharmaceutical industries argue thatfluoroquinolone use in food animalshas no adverse effects in humans (4)and continue to supply these drugs foruse in poultry (2,5). The use of thesedrugs has caused rapidly increasingresistance rates in most countries. Inthe United States, 19% ofCampylobacter isolates from humansare now ciprofloxacin resistant (2),and resistance rates >80% are seen inSpain (5). By contrast, in Australia,where fluoroquinolones were neverapproved for use in food animals,domestically acquired infections withfluoroquinolone-resistant Campylo-bacter spp. are rarely found in humans(6). Drug-resistant Escherichia coliis also of concern. In Spain, humansfrequently acquire fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli associated with fluo-roquinolone use in poultry (7).