Abstract
This study has been conducted under the Thai Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption which
is an official partnership program between Department of Agriculture (DOA), Department of Livestock
Development (DLD), Department of Fishery (DOF), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department
of Medical Sciences (DMSC), International Health Policy Program (IHPP), Ministry of Public Health, and
Kasetsart University. The study aims to (1) review measures used to control antimicrobial use in plant
agriculture in developed countries including registration of antimicrobials for plants, list of approved
antimicrobials for plants, relevant authority agencies, regulations, and surveillance system for antimicrobial
use in plants, and (2) to explain the current situation in Thailand regarding the control of
antimicrobial use in plants. The results of this study can contribute to the development of effective
surveillance system for antimicrobial consumption in plants and all living things.
In the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.EPA) has approved three
antimicrobials for using in plants, namely streptomycin, oxytetracycline, and kasugamycin. In addition,
there is the national program under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that
takes part in the surveillance of antimicrobial use in plants. In Thailand, antimicrobials are used to
control plant diseases caused by bacterial infection, for example, Greening or Huanglongbing disease
in mandarins. Since there is no antimicrobial registered for plant agriculture, farmers then used the
antimicrobials registered for human use on plant. So far, the attempt to control and monitor antimicrobial
consumption in Thailand is limited to certain some antimicrobials for human use. There is
neither surveillance system for antimicrobial use in plants nor development plan to increase capacity of
relevant personnel and laboratories in order to detect residual antimicrobials and antimicrobial
resistant bacteria contaminated in the environment. Hence, the development of the surveillance
system for antimicrobial use in plants and capacity building for personnel and laboratories are the
important areas for further studies in order to control environmental contamination from antimicrobials.
