Argentine Beekeepers' Magazine

(Espacio Apícola, February 27th 2023) The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an alert for honey imported from Saudi Arabia containing ciprofloxacin residues last February 22nd.

Ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, from the fluoroquinolone family, a drug reserved as a last resort against infections that show resistance to other antibiotics.

It is harmful to the intestinal flora, so it is also harmful to bees.

It is present in atimicrobial test discs used for the control of chemicals against American foulbrood, it is present in antibiogram discs together with other restricted-use antibiotics with high bactericidal power such as nitrofurans o chloramphenicol, banned many years ago.

It should be remembered that the use of antibiotics in beehives that are producing honey is prohibited in many countries.

The last event of this nature, also with ciprofloxacin, dates from June 2022 and was reported in honey from Pakistan (follow the thread of this news here)

Data source: Import Alert FDA 36-04 of February 27th, 2023.