Measurement / residue studyindependent cross-checkabstract only checked★ key study I-FSH-11 in-depth review
Antibiotics from poultry manure to fish (Egypt)
Hysterical tetracycline in intensive poultry farms accountable for substantial gene resistance, health and ecological risk in Egypt- manure and fish.
Overview
Mahmoud MAM & Abdel-Mohsein HS. Environ Pollut 2019 · PMID 31521994 · DOI 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113039
Farmed tilapia had more tetracycline residues than river tilapia; poultry litter may spread resistance.
Does the study support the specific claim? Yes · Methodological quality: moderate
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
Trace tetracyclines.
- How was the study done?
HPLC, PCR.
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
Litter and tilapia.
- What was actually found?
Higher in farmed tilapia.
- How large was the observed effect?
HQ > 1 for litter on farmland.
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Manure practices matter.
- What are the study's limitations?
Small, regional.
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Supports Egypt-specific concern.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
Low.
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
Prevalence of practice.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Mahmoud MAM & Abdel-Mohsein HS
- Journal
- Environ Pollut
- Year
- 2019
- Identifier
- PMID 31521994 DOI 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113039
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-25
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
not stated in abstract/record
2. Research question
Tetracycline residues and resistance from poultry farms to manure and fish
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Measurement / residue study – HPLC tetracycline residues in poultry litter and tilapia (river vs aquaculture) and resistance genes
- Population
Poultry litter/droppings; tilapia from Nile and aquaculture
- Country
Egypt (Upper Egypt)
- Period
published 2019
- Sample size
not stated
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Source
- Comparator
Nile River tilapia
- Endpoints
TC, CTC, OTC, DC; tet genes; HQ
- Statistical methods
HPLC; HQ
5. Actual results
- Results
CTC and OTC highest in litter; doxycycline highest in tilapia; tetracycline levels in aquaculture tilapia significantly higher than Nile River tilapia; HQ > 1 for OTC, CTC, DC (litter on farmland); authors state aquaculture tilapia consumption 'poses a considerable health risk'.
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
Poultry litter used for aquaculture or fertiliser could be a major source of antibiotic resistance.
6. Strengths
- Links poultry manure, fish and resistance
7. Weaknesses
- Sample sizes not in abstract
- Risk statement for fish not quantified in abstract
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- some concerns
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Supports the Egypt-specific part of C-FSH-12.
11. Independent contrary findings
I-FSH-07, I-FSH-08 (low risk elsewhere).
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
Low.
13. Overall methodological judgement
Most direct support for Elawady's manure argument.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | moderate |
| Risk of bias | some concerns |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | direct |
| Reproducibility | unknown |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | unknown |
| Regional transferability | low |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
How widespread manure use is.