Alert over use of amoxicillin in orange orchards

By The Nation

 

Cr Home of Border Pharmacist

 

PUBLIC HEALTH Ministry officials have been instructed to check on pharmacies and antibiotics manufacturers that may have distributed amoxicillin for farms – reportedly used widely in northern and central orange orchards – as it could lead to drug resistance or even fatal allergies in humans as well as contaminating the environment.
 

A recent report highlighted the apparent long-standing use of amoxicillin injection into orange trees three to four times a year, to treat Citrus greening disease – caused by a bacteria spread by psyllid insects – and said that orange farmers did not realise the danger of the practice. Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Sukhum Kanchanapimai said on Friday that the abuse must be stopped.

 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Medical Sciences, along with respective health offices have begun to investigate in the jurisdictions involved.

 

 

FDA deputy secretary-general Dr Surachoke Tangwiwat said his agency had required respective provincial health offices to check on orange orchards for the distribution of amoxicillin to orange farmers and ensure that the sale of antibiotics is made only at pharmacies with pharmacists.

 

The agency also warned antibiotics manufacturers to distribute antibiotics to pharmacies and not directly to farmers or they will face legal actions.

 

Pharmacist Supanai Prasertsuk, coordinator for the pharmacists’ follow-up group for borderland medicine issues under the Drug System Monitoring and Development Centre, said his members had identified the issue of antibiotic use in fruit and vegetable farming in the North. 

 

 

This misuse of amoxicillin – which is among the most-used antibiotics to treat infections in humans and must be prescribed by pharmacists – can lead to environmental contamination, especially at water sources.

 

The consumers’ secondary exposure to such medicine can lead to serious or even fatal reactions among those allergic to antibiotics, and the farmers’ direct exposure to such medicine that can lead to allergic reactions, Supanai said.

 

He said that farms would most likely not use antibiotic capsules but a chemical powder format, which can cause it to scatter. Although there was no research to confirm antibiotic contamination from the use in orange orchards, he said the sensible precaution was to stop such use. 

 

The Public Health Ministry should check farmers’ physical conditions as well as samples from soil and water to study for a contamination, while farmers should shift to organic farming guidelines, Supanai said.

 

Supanai also urged the authority to check on the sale of chemicals (used in making amoxicillin) to farmers as such substances were also considered dangerous medicines. The sale of the drug by non-pharmacists violated the law so the sellers and manufacturers could be held accountable. 

 

 

Supanai advised those allergic to amoxicillin to avoid consumption while those without allergies should refrain from consuming a large amount and to leave a seven-day gap between consumption.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30358806

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-19

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

The agency also warned antibiotics manufacturers to distribute antibiotics to pharmacies and not directly to farmers or they will face legal actions.

Only the most daft person (Thai or foreigner) would believe any threats from Thai Officialdom. 

 

The reality is that the country is brimming with corrupt and incompetent. 

 

No wonder why cancer rates have skyrocketed in Thailand. All it takes is a heap of dumb farmers and corrupt officials who "didn't know it was bad" for 5 years and consumer consumption for same period. 

 

We NEVER know what is happening here and that's what you get when you have no oversight and complete corruption in every facet of society 

Injecting antibiotics to a tree just like that without to be checked by a doctor first? i tell ya, the things i get to hear and see in this country on a daily bases simply boggles the minds to say the least...

 

If those antibiotics don't get you, your local orange vendor will get you with her gun.

 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

said that orange farmers did not realise the danger of the practice.

today's humanity; such little analysis and thought on the overuse of chemicals; FDAs and such are not as effective as they need to be

Never liked the taste of Thai oranges.

Surrounded by orange orchards I am not sure if they, or the crazy drivers, are our biggest death threat. Some days the stink from the spraying is all pervasive and now we hear the trees are sick enough to need antibiotic. No wonder the people here are dying of cancer at 60.

 

10 hours ago, webfact said:

A recent report highlighted the apparent long-standing use of amoxicillin injection into orange trees three to four times a year, to treat Citrus greening disease –

Pharmacist Supanai Prasertsuk said: Although there was no research to confirm antibiotic contamination from the use in orange orchards, he said the sensible precaution was to stop such use. 

Looks like my mental capacity is incompatible to understand the Thai interpretation of precaution. I learned it's too late for precaution after the kid drowned in the well. But maybe there is a Thai word for post-caution.

Edited November 19, 20187 yr by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes or wording.

all boils down to money, they will do whatever is cheapest/easiest for them, what happens after it leaves the farm is none of their concern as they will already have the money in their pockets, this applies across the board as has been shown in other food areas. Unfortunately there are no health and safety people here that will regulate this type of thing especially when an envelope in the right hands would negate anything anyway

 

Edited November 19, 20187 yr by seajae

Is this a cover up ?, 

and the real story is,  that Thailand's orange trees have a dose of chlamydia  

They will poison you for 10baht.the local corner shop started selling the 20lt blue drinking water bottles.she said she had a filter system out back and made it herself.we got two and when back home notice brown crap in the bottom.i think all she is doin is refill the bottle from her well or even worse using government supplied water....all for 10baht......last week a pal had mayo on his pizza and his dad said no to mayo.withing 45 minutes the son was in hospital being sick and having convulsions.nurses sorted him out in 4 hours as they seem to know what it was and the right treatment as it must be quite common here.money,money,money.

Unbelievable!! Amoxicillin is a "broad band" antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in HUMANS - NOT ORANGES. Must now check that the oranges I buy originate from outside Thailand. 

4 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Unbelievable!! Amoxicillin is a "broad band" antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in HUMANS - NOT ORANGES. Must now check that the oranges I buy originate from outside Thailand. 

you're right. But seems my doctor was right, too. She said if you 've got Tonsillitis eat oranges !

May be Thai oranges should be prescribed by doctors only

Does this work?

 

I thought there was no way to stop citrus greening disease.

Most thai fruit juices are mixed with orange juice...i won't buy it anymore.

An orange a day keeps the doctor away... 

It's not even mentioned in this report that Amoxicillin is readily and cheaply available from farm supplies stores in powder form - not for injection, but as a foliar spray to stop the spread of the canker virus. This is not isolated, but common practice. I was shocked some years ago to discover this was being done as the standard treatment to halt a canker outbreak on my wife's tangerine (Thai orange) farm.

I shudder to think what is on or in the local fresh produce & then we have huge supplies of fruit & veg from China to contend with. Regulating authorities cannot be trusted due to incompetence, laziness, corruption or all of the above. You never hear of any tainted produce being seized & destroyed

Ah, the oh-so healthy Thai fruits. You'll never get sick eating them as you get your daily 1000g antibiotic doses. So exotic and tasty!

15 minutes ago, Valentine said:

I shudder to think what is on or in the local fresh produce & then we have huge supplies of fruit & veg from China to contend with. Regulating authorities cannot be trusted due to incompetence, laziness, corruption or all of the above. You never hear of any tainted produce being seized & destroyed

Me too, this esp when I remember a report published a while back which showed that Thai fruit and vegetables were HEAVILY contaminated with chemicals and pesticides, and some of the worst were in the "farmers markets" and also those marked "organic".

 

Money and greed drive just about everything here, from top to bottom, so it is no surprise......but as for protecting ones self??

 

And for what it is worth, the Chinese food imports here were found to be no better. 

The comment that pharmacists prescribe medicine is incredible. I see it happen all the time. How much study is required? Any? One “pharmacist” offered me codeine. I had flu-like symptoms!

I am concerned about this as the only thing I am allergic to is - amoxycillin. Better give up eating anything I suppose.

This practice is so alarming and sick but just the tip of the iceberg.
God knows what else is in our daily food here.
I am sure those farmers never eat anything of their own produce.
One should sue the relevant authorities for doing nothing.
The only news about pesticide residues you hear from some private organisation called THAI-PAN who are doing the work that actually is the job of several government authorities.

So why the fuss now for antibiotics used in fruit. They ( the farmers & growers) that breed and grow Pigs ,Chickens, Beef  they all have used (and are still using ) antibiotics. It doesn't matter witch one they are All Bad.

2 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

I am concerned about this as the only thing I am allergic to is - amoxycillin. Better give up eating anything I suppose.

the Makro has many fresh products from Australia, also oranges. Don't know if they have them now but they are better than the same ones from china.

 

Also they sell a lot of fresh vegetables from the royal project, i assume those are safe but not sure.

2 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

I am concerned about this as the only thing I am allergic to is - amoxycillin. Better give up eating anything I suppose.

Probably. I'm surprised they don't offer a McMoxy at McD, people here pop them like candy for any small papercut. Once a bug gains immunity because of the overuse it'll wipe the population clean in a few days.

4 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Does this work?

 

I thought there was no way to stop citrus greening disease.

It does not cure citrus greening, but helps the tree to live longer and be more productive.

 

Spraying trees with antibiotics is a common practice in many countries, not just Thailand.  Also used in Florida in the past, but USDA looking into a ban.

 

Not sure, but I reckon use of antibiotics in species closer to humans (pigs) causes a greater risk of promoting antibiotic resistance than spraying trees?

2 hours ago, digger70 said:

So why the fuss now for antibiotics used in fruit. They ( the farmers & growers) that breed and grow Pigs ,Chickens, Beef  they all have used (and are still using ) antibiotics. It doesn't matter witch one they are All Bad.

Agree and the USA are the main offenders with around 80% of all antibiotic, antiviral and anti fungal drugs produced there being used in animal feedstock.

 

 And this from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (USA)…….

 

“Antibiotics have been used in animal feed for about 50 years ever since the discovery not only as an anti-microbial agent, but also as a growth-promoting agent and improvement in performance. Tetracyclines, penicillin, streptomycin and bactrican soon began to be common additives in feed for livestock and poultry. Currently, the following antibiotics are used in livestock and poultry feed: chlortetracycline, procaine penicillin, oxytetracycline, tylosin, bacitracin, neomycin sulfate, streptomycin, erythromycin, linomycin, oleandomycin, virginamycin, and bambermycins. In addition to these antibiotics, which are of microbial origin, there are other chemically synthesized antimicrobial agents that are also sometimes used in animal feeds. These include three major classes of compounds: arsenical, nito-furan, and sulfa compounds. Arsenical compounds include arsanilic acid, 3-nitro-4-hydroxy phenylarsonic acid, and sodium arsanilate; nitro-furan compounds include furazolidone and nitro-furazone; sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, and sulfaquinoxaline. Other chemicals are also used as antiprotozoal agents to prevent coccidiosis and histomaniasis in chickens and turkeys”.

 

And we wonder why we have a problems fighting some bacteria at the moment...……..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agree and the USA are the main offenders with around 80% of all antibiotic, antiviral and anti fungal drugs produced there being used in animal feedstock.
 

 And this from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (USA)…….

 

“Antibiotics have been used in animal feed for about 50 years ever since the discovery not only as an anti-microbial agent, but also as a growth-promoting agent and improvement in performance. Tetracyclines, penicillin, streptomycin and bactrican soon began to be common additives in feed for livestock and poultry. Currently, the following antibiotics are used in livestock and poultry feed: chlortetracycline, procaine penicillin, oxytetracycline, tylosin, bacitracin, neomycin sulfate, streptomycin, erythromycin, linomycin, oleandomycin, virginamycin, and bambermycins. In addition to these antibiotics, which are of microbial origin, there are other chemically synthesized antimicrobial agents that are also sometimes used in animal feeds. These include three major classes of compounds: arsenical, nito-furan, and sulfa compounds. Arsenical compounds include arsanilic acid, 3-nitro-4-hydroxy phenylarsonic acid, and sodium arsanilate; nitro-furan compounds include furazolidone and nitro-furazone; sulfamethazine, sulfathiazole, and sulfaquinoxaline. Other chemicals are also used as antiprotozoal agents to prevent coccidiosis and histomaniasis in chickens and turkeys”.

 

And we wonder why we have a problems fighting some bacteria at the moment...……..

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In the EU the use of antibiotics as growth promoter and given as a prophylaxis is not allowed anymore.
There must be a prescription from a registered veterinarian and only in case of a disease in the flock.
However, in many cases of the occurrence of dead birds there is an antibiotic added to the drinking water to prevent the whole flock from being infected.
Welcome to the mass production of cheap meat.

Dear webfact,

 

I love oranges. I love them so much that I'm now on the "orange only" diet. I eat 2 kg a day, which could be 20 oranges, if/when they are smaller. Should I be worried?

 

Sincerely,

 

A worrier  x