Antibiotic Use in a Municipal Veterinary Clinic in Ghana.

Wisdom Adeapena,Kwame Ohene Buabeng,Samuel Afari-Asiedu,Alexandre Delamou,Robinah Najjemba,Johan Van Griensven,Kwaku Poku Asante

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed6030138

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a threat to public health, impacting both human and animal health as well as the economy. This study sought to describe antibiotic prescription practices and use in the Kintampo North Municipal Veterinary Clinic in Ghana using routinely collected data. Of the 513 animals presented for care between 2013 and 2019, the most common animals were dogs (71.9%), goats (13.1%), and sheep (11.1%). Antibiotics were prescribed for 273/513 (53.2%) of the animals. Tetracycline was the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics, (99.6%). Of the 273 animals that received antibiotics, the route of administration was not documented in 68.9%, and antibiotic doses were missing in the treatment records in 37.7%. Details of the antibiotic regimen and the medical conditions diagnosed were often not recorded (52.8%). This study recommends appropriate documentation to enable continuous audit of antibiotic prescription practice and to improve quality of use. There is also the need for a national survey on antibiotic prescribtion and use in animal health to support policy implementation and decision making in One-Health in Ghana.

Highlights

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing threat to public health and advances in the fight against infectious diseases [1,2]
Animal production practices have been associated with regular antibiotic use, and foodborne transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from animals to humans is well documented [3,4]
Drug management at the Veterinary Services Division (VSD) is in compliance with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

Summary

Introduction

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing threat to public health and advances in the fight against infectious diseases [1,2]. Global consumption estimates suggest that antimicrobial use in animals is twice that of humans [5]. While trends in antibiotic consumption in humans are increasingly being tracked globally, antibiotic consumption in livestock and the veterinary service has received comparatively little attention [6]. There is limited information on antibiotic use in animals in rural veterinary services in West Africa and none from Ghana [7,8]. International guidelines of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recommend implementing a surveillance system for antibiotic consumption within veterinary services, including information on the antibiotic class used, the total dose, and the route of administration [9]. The extent to which such systems are currently implemented in low- and middle-income countries is unclear [10]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion