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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Meat Safety and Quality » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #294854
Title: Development and model testing of anti-mortem screening methodology to predict prescribed drug withholds in heifers

Author
item Jones, Shuna
item SALTER, ROBERT - Charm Sciences, Inc
item GOLDSMITH, TIM - University Of Minnesota
item QUINTANA, JULIO - Charm Sciences, Inc
item RAPNICKI, PAUL - Elanco Animal Health, Inc
item SHUCK, KAREN - University Of Nebraska
item Wells, James - Jim
item Schneider, Marilyn
item GRIFFIN, DEE - University Of Nebraska

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/26/2013
Publication Date: 1/29/2014
Citation: Jones, S., Salter, R.S., Goldsmith, T., Quintana, J., Rapnicki, P., Shuck, K., Wells, J., Schneider, M.J., Griffin, D. 2014. Development and model testing of anti-mortem screening methodology to predict prescribed drug withholds in heifers. Journal of Food Protection. 77(2):292-298.

Interpretive Summary: Antibiotics and medications used to treat animals have required withdrawal time before the meat is free from drug residues and safe for human consumption. A simple test that could verify the presence of drug residues in live animals would help prevent animals with residues going to slaughter. This study evaluated the KIS (kidney inhibition swab) test, and LF (lateral flow) method as a potential way to identify animals with residues before slaughter. The KIS test was useful in detecting some classes of antibiotics in some animal fluids. Further work will continue the development of the KIS test for detecting residues in live animals.

Technical Abstract: A simple, cow-side test for the presence of drug residues in live animal fluids would provide useful information for tissue drug residue avoidance programs. This work describes adaptation and evaluation of rapid screening tests to detect drug residues in serum and urine. Medicated herd animals had urine, serum, and tissue biopsy samples taken during drug treatment. Samples were tested by rapid methods and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The adapted microbial inhibition method, kidney inhibition swab test, was useful in detecting sulfadimethoxine in serum and its response correlated with the prescribed withdrawal time for the drug, 5 to 6 days post treatment. The lateral flow screening method for flunixin and beta-lactams, adapted for urine, was useful in predicting flunixin in liver detected by HPLC, 96 h posttreatment. The same adapted methods were not useful to detect ceftiofur in serum or urine due to a lack of sensitivity at the levels of interest. These antemortem screening test studies demonstrated that the method selected, and the sampling matrix chosen (urine or serum), will depend on the drug used and should be based on animal treatment history if available. The live animal tests demonstrated the potential for verification that an individual animal is free of drug residues before sale for human consumption.