FLORIDA — The pesticide will be applied to citrus fruits such as grapefruits, oranges and tangerines. <br /><br />According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of antibiotic pesticides on citrus crops.<br /><br />The antibiotics will be used to fight citrus canker and citrus greening disease in orchards. <br /><br />The plan is to use 388,000 pounds of oxytetracycline per year to treat 480,000 acres of citrus trees in Florida. <br /><br />According to the EPA, there is a 'high' probability that the use of the antibiotic pesticide on citrus orchards will lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.<br /><br />There is a 'medium risk' of it having a negative impact on human health. The drug is commonly used to treat pulmonary infections such as pneumonia.<br /><br />The World Health Organization states that antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health.<br /><br />A growing number of infectious diseases are becoming harder to treat as they become more resistant to antibiotic treatment.<br /><br />According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently more than two million people infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year which result in an estimated 23,000 deaths.
