Screening of quinolone antibiotic residues in beef sold in Kosovo

This study aimed to find the effects of quinolone antibiotics in beef used in the three regions of Kosovo. A total of 89 beef meat samples were collected randomly from local meat shops for analysis. Extraction and determination of quinolones were made using the ELISA procedure. Among the beef samples, 14 (15.7%) were positive for quinolones. The mean levels (±SE) of quinolones were found to be in average of 28.22 μg/kg ± 1.11 μg/kg for enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and flumequin, respectively. This study indicated that some beef meat sold in Kosovo contain residues of quinolone antibiotics. The evaluation of tested samples found positive presence of enrofloxacin in 6 (6.7%) of the beef meat samples and for ciprofloxacin and fumequin, 3 (3.35%) and in 5 (5.6%), respectively. Study results confirmed that quinolone residues in beef sold in Kosovo constitute a serious risk for public health.