Antibiotic resistance: Survey of Russian veterinarians

The overuse and misuse of antimicrobial agents contribute to the development of bacterial resistance to antimicrobial drugs, complicating the treatment of common infectious diseases. Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as a serious threat to human and animal health and economic well-being worldwide. A comprehensive approach is proposed to minimize the spread of antibiotic resistance, including understanding of the characteristics of antibiotic use by veterinarians.

This study aimed to determine Russian veterinarians' level of knowledge and attitudes toward the problem of antibiotic resistance and to identify factors influencing the choice of antimicrobials as a therapeutic agent.

A total of 250 people were interviewed. Respondents filled out online Google questionnaires. The data were stored electronically in a Microsoft Excel database, where statistical analysis was also performed.

In total, 93.2% of veterinarians use antibiotics in their veterinary practice. The results of laboratory tests (41.2%) and antibiotic susceptibility testing (40.0%) are the most important factors influencing the choice of antibiotic. Moreover, 76.0% of veterinarians agreed that inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance, and 81.6% agreed that many infections are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotic treatment. The respondents considered the following measures to control antibiotic resistance to be very important: limiting unnecessary treatment (64.8%), providing postgraduate education for veterinarians (62.0%), educating farmers/animal owners (58.8%), and forbidding the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in farm animals (57.2%). 52.4% of veterinarians answered that the veterinary clinic where they work has a protocol for the use of antibiotics.

This research is aimed at identifying areas for improvement in the rationalization of antibiotic use in Russian veterinary practice, including previously adopted measures. The following areas can be suggested for improvement: insufficient level of knowledge of veterinarians about the problem of antibiotic resistance; insufficient availability of information for veterinarians about the profile of bacteria in various infectious diseases of animals, measures for the rational use of antibiotics, and the availability of alternative treatment methods (without the use of antibiotics); and reliable, inexpensive, and rapid methods for determining the sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics.