Antibiotic use in mandarin production (Citrus reticulata Blanco) in major mandarin-producing areas in Thailand: A survey assessment

Abstract

BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of the major global threats to human security, has serious negative consequences for both health and economies. Excessive and inappropriate uses of antibiotics are the main drivers of the emergence of resistant bacterial strains. In Thailand, antibiotics have been used in citrus production since 2012 to treat citrus greening disease or Huanglongbing disease, despite no antibiotics being registered for use in mandarin. This raises concerns about irrational use of antibiotics, which can cause AMR.ObjectiveTo assess the status of greening disease and the use of antibiotics in mandarin production.MethodA face-to-face interview survey in 2017 with 221 mandarin growers in two major mandarin-producing areas.FindingsGreening disease is one of the most serious diseases in mandarins and farmers in the two major mandarin-producing areas in Thailand used ampicillin, amoxicillin, tetracycline and penicillin to treat it. As no antibiotics are registered for use in plants, farmers used antibiotics (registered with the Thai Food and Drug Administration) for human use, either active pharmaceutical ingredients or finished products. They commonly purchased them from retail pharmacies or agrochemical suppliers. Farmers were influenced to use antibiotics by their orchard neighbours and advice from a few academics. The farmers injected antibiotics into the tree trunks approximately three to four times a year and stopped for more than two months before harvesting for in-season fruits.ConclusionAntibiotics registered for human use are being applied to control greening diseases. We recommend scaling up sustainable disease control measures and curtail the use of antibiotics through close and effective dialogue among ‘One Health’ partners.

Pratiques de protection des cultures en agroécosystèmes tropicaux et risques de maladies humaines et animales d’origine bactérienne

“…Cela exclut a priori une contribution importante de l'injection d'antibiotiques dans le tronc d'arbres fruitiers à l'antibiorésistance de bactéries pathogènes à ces antibiotiques (notamment la streptomycine) en santé publique et vétérinaire (Stockwell et Duffy, 2012 ;McManus, 2014). En revanche, les pulvérisations foliaires d'antibiotiques à grande échelle pour lutter contre le Greening (Huanglongbing) des agrumes, causé par Candidatus Liberibacter sp., comme depuis peu en Floride (McKenna, 2019), ou l'application inconsidérée d'antibiotiques à usage spécifiquement médical comme en Thaïlande (Chanvatik et al, 2019), posent question.…”

Tetracycline Exposure Alters Key Gut Microbiota in Africanized Honey Bees (Apis mellifera scutellata x spp.)

“…Tetracycline residues have been detected in irrigation water (0.14 ppm), pig waste lagoons (0.7 ppm), soil (25 ppm), hospital effluents (0.53 ppm), and at wastewater treatment plants (0.92 ppm) (Meyer et al, 2000;Pena et al, 2010;Wang et al, 2014). Although prohibited in Brazil and Europe, oxytetracycline is also used to control bacterial infections in fruit trees including Candidatus Liberibacter spp., the causative agent of Citrus Greening Disease (Chanvatik et al, 2019), and Xylella fastidiosa, which causes Pierce's disease in grapevines (Hopkins, 1979). Although oxytetracycline can be applied via trunk injection, it is normally sprayed over orchards or vineyards (foliar spray), and oxytetracycline concentrations on plant tissues can range from 100 to 4,166 ppm (Chanvatik et al, 2019).…”

Tetracycline exposure alters key gut microbiota in Africanized honey bees (Apis mellifera scutellatax spp.)

“…Tetracycline residues have been detected in irrigation water (0.14 ppm), pig waste lagoons (0.7 ppm), soil (25 ppm), hospital effluents (0.53 ppm), and at wastewater treatment plants (0.92 ppm) (Meyer et al, 2000;Pena et al, 2010;Wang et al, 2014). Although prohibited in Brazil and Europe, oxytetracycline is also used to control bacterial infections in fruit trees including Candidatus Liberibacter spp., the causative agent of Citrus Greening Disease (Chanvatik et al, 2019), and Xylella fastidiosa, which causes Pierce's disease in grapevines (Hopkins, 1979). In these cases, oxytetracycline is sprayed over orchards or vineyards, and oxytetracycline concentrations on plant tissues can range from 100 to 4,166 ppm (Chanvatik et al, 2019).…”

“…Although prohibited in Brazil and Europe, oxytetracycline is also used to control bacterial infections in fruit trees including Candidatus Liberibacter spp., the causative agent of Citrus Greening Disease (Chanvatik et al, 2019), and Xylella fastidiosa, which causes Pierce's disease in grapevines (Hopkins, 1979). In these cases, oxytetracycline is sprayed over orchards or vineyards, and oxytetracycline concentrations on plant tissues can range from 100 to 4,166 ppm (Chanvatik et al, 2019).…”