[Antibiotic Use and Reduction in Veterinary Medicine]

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Antimicrobial Stewardship
• Food Safety

Background:

• The rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health concern.
• Antibiotic use in food-producing animals has contributed to the development of AMR.
• Effective monitoring and prudent use strategies are essential to mitigate AMR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a farm-level monitoring method for antibiotic use in food animals.
• To assess the impact of benchmarking on antibiotic consumption in livestock.
• To critically analyze the interpretation of critically important antimicrobials for human medicine.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of a farm-level antibiotic use monitoring system.
• Benchmarking antibiotic usage data across farms.
• Analysis of antibiotic use patterns and adherence to prudent use principles.

Main Results:

• Remarkable reduction in the total amount of antibiotics used in food animals was achieved through benchmarking.
• The study highlights the necessity of implementing "prudent use" guidelines alongside reduction strategies.
• Current interpretations of "critically important antimicrobials" require critical evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Farm-level monitoring and benchmarking are effective tools for reducing antibiotic use in food animals.
• Strict adherence to "prudent use" principles is paramount for successful antimicrobial stewardship.
• A critical review of the classification of critically important antimicrobials is needed to ensure their availability for human medicine.