Quinolones residue in poultry meat and eggs; an alarming public health issue in Nepal

Quinolone residues were detected in 88.3% of chicken meat and 80% of egg samples. Three chicken meat samples from Kathmandu exceeded the MRL (> 100ppb), with Enrofloxacin found in commercial and education sectors and both Enrofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin in the health sector. In eggs, residue prevalence was 83.9% in Kathmandu followed by Bhaktapur (76.9%) and Lalitpur (65%). Household eggs had the most residues (100%), and the education sector had the least (66.7%) (p = 0.0219). These findings indicate widespread and unregulated quinolone use in poultry production, highlighting the urgent need for prudent antibiotic stewardship to reduce antimicrobial resistance and associated health risks.