Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Animal Products Commercialized in the Border Region of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.

ABSTRACT: The traffic in international animal products can become a public health hazard when legal import sanitary procedures are not followed. In Brazil, due to its extensive border area, the importation of animal products is a common practice in many areas, especially in Rio Grande do Sul, a state that borders Argentina and Uruguay. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of veterinary drug residues (antibiotics and antiparasitics) in animal products consumed in Rio Grande do Sul. The presence of residues of veterinary antibiotics and antiparasitics was assessed in 189 meat (beef, pork, and chicken), processed dairy, and meat product samples bought in Argentina (n = 90) and Uruguay (n = 99). Residues of these veterinary drugs were detected in 50 (26.45%) of the samples; 28 samples (14.81%) had antibiotic residues, and 22 samples (11.64%) had antiparasitic residues. Of the 50 positive samples, 40% (15 from Argentina and 5 from Uruguay) had residues above the maximum residue limits (MRLs). Of these 20 samples, 12 had antiparasitic residues above the MRLs (11 beef samples had ivermectin and 1 pork sample had ivermectin and doramectin) and 8 had antibiotic residues above the MRLs (2 pork and 2 sausage samples had doxycycline, 2 cheese samples had doxycycline and chlortetracycline, 1 poultry meat sample had chloramphenicol, and 1 cheese sample had monensin). Because of the potential toxic effects on humans and the potential for pathogens to develop antibiotic resistance, the presence of these residues above the MRLs is a potential risk to public health. The negative impact of consumption of imported animal products can be reduced by implementation of an effective surveillance system and educational campaigns for the general population.

Salmonella enterica mcr-1 Positive from Food in Brazil: Detection and Characterization.

The mcr-1 gene has been identified in bacterial isolates obtained from humans, animals, environment, and food, including Salmonella spp., which is one of the major foodborne pathogens worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of mcr-1 gene in Salmonella spp. from food produced in Brazil and to characterize the isolates harboring this gene. A total of 490 Salmonella spp. isolates from the Brazilian National Program for the Control of Foodborne Pathogens were screened for the presence of mcr-1 gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed in positive isolates to characterize the sequence type (ST), plasmid families and resistance genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed by broth microdilution. Selected isolates were submitted to conjugation experiments using the Escherichia coli J53 as a receptor. We detected eight isolates harboring the mcr-1 gene; seven belonged to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and its monophasic variant 4,[5],12:i:-, and one belonged to serovar Saintpaul. Seven of the mcr-1 positive isolates displayed a high rate of resistance to other antibiotics in addition to colistin. Analysis of the WGS indicated that the ST 19 was the most common ST among the mcr-1 positive isolates. The mcr-1 gene was located in an IncX4 plasmid of ∼33 kb, with no additional resistance genes and with high identity with a plasmid obtained from a clinical isolate of E. coli mcr-1 positive in Brazil. All plasmids harboring the mcr-1 gene were able to conjugate. Our results suggest the spread of a single plasmid type in Brazil harboring the mcr-1 among Salmonella spp. The horizontal transfer of this mobile element has been contributing to the spread of the colistin resistance in the country.

Determination of the residue levels of nicarbazin and combination nicarbazin-narasin in broiler chickens after oral administration.

The depletion times of the anticoccidial nicarbazin administered individually and of nicarbazin and narasin administered in combination were evaluated by determining the presence and levels of 4,4'-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC), the marker residue for nicarbazin, and narasin residues in the muscle tissues of broiler chickens subjected to a pharmacological treatment. A high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was used. The results showed the presence of all anticoccidial residues; however, the DNC levels were higher when the nicarbazin was administered individually than when it was used in association with narasin throughout the experimental period. After six days of withdrawal, the DNC level following nicarbazin administration alone was lower than the maximum residue level (MRL) of 200 µg kg-1. However, when the nicarbazin was co-administered with narasin, the concentrations of DNC were lower than the MRL after four days of withdrawal. These results may be justified because the dosage of nicarbazin, when administrated individually, is greater than when it is used in combination with narasin. The levels of narasin were lower than the MRL of 15 µg kg-1 throughout the evaluation period. It was concluded that nicarbazin is rapidly metabolized from the broiler muscles up to six days of withdrawal since the DNC levels were lower than the maximum residue level (MRL) and the concentrations of narasin were lower than the MRL throughout the evaluation period.