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Baytril is the brand name for enrofloxacin, an antibiotic used in treating infections in poultry populations. The drug is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, part of the same class of drugs such as Cipro and Levaquin. In July 2005 the FDA determined that Baytril was not safe for use in poultry, because of the occurrence of severe side effects in humans after ingesting the Baytril laden poultry. The withdrawal comes at the end of a five-year legal battle between Baytril’s parent company Bayer and the FDA.
Baytril has been in use since 1996 as a drug to treat poultry populations for infections. Bacteria in the poultry like campylobacter became especially resistant to the Baytril, which caused severe infection in the poultry’s digestive tract and then their meat. The infection has no symptoms in poultry. In humans, the campylobacter infection is particularly serious, and can be caused by ingesting as little as one drop of infected blood.
The FDA became extremely concerned after significant increases in human campylobacter infections occurred after Baytril began to be used in poultry.
Campylobacter infections are the most common cause of foodborne sicknesses in the country, and their frequencies escalated with the approval of Baytril use in poultry. Since 2000 the FDA has been fighting a legal battle with Bayer, Baytril’s maker. The government organization had been trying to stop Baytril’s use in poultry farms.
Illness caused by campylobacter can cause serious problems in people, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, very young people, and the elderly. The main side effects of the disease are diarrhea, cramping, and fevers. If left untreated, or in severe cases, campylobacter can cause a serious disease known as Guillain-Barre, arthritis, blood infections, and even death.
Baytril is a type of antibiotic known as a fluoroquinolone antimicrobial. These types of drugs are newer, and usually stronger, than other antibiotics. Fluoroquinolones like Baytril act by killing bacterial DNA. In poultry, Baytril was used to treat infections, but strains of bacteria became resistant to the treatment.
The FDA’s decision on Baytril is the first time that a drug used primarily for veterinary reasons has been withdrawn from the market due to antibiotic resistance and human side effects. Baytril was scheduled to be taken off the market for poultry use on September 12, 2005. Although Bayer had 60 days to appeal the decision, the ban did in fact go through. The company maintains the drug’s safety record, but says it is looking into the FDA findings.
If you or anyone you know suffered side effects or injury that is suspected of being related to Baytril you may be eligible for monetary compensation. Contact an experienced Baytril lawyer through our site for a free consultation.
For the first time ever, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will withdraw approval of a veterinary drug because it has caused the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria that threaten human health.
Bayer’s Baytril was licensed in 1996 ...
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