Abstract
Abstract The development of an antimicrobial stewardship plan (AMSP) for live bird sellers (LBS) requires an understanding of the current biosecurity status, antimicrobial use (AMU) and the practices involved in live bird selling (e.g., drivers, sellers, etc.) which is a direct source of poultry meat for human consumption. Seven Live Bird Markets (LBMs) within Abeokuta, Ogun State were surveyed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data on LBMs characteristics, LBS demographics, biosecurity, and AMU practices, awareness on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), as well as preferred channels of information on antimicrobial stewardship were gathered. A total of 40 consenting LBS with 82.5% female and 17.5% male participants were included in the study. The participants’ mean age was 45.3 years (SD±11.9, range: 23-70 years). Laying hens, broilers, and cockerels were the main poultry types sold by LBS. Antimicrobials (AMs) were used for growth promotion (57.5%), therapeutic (40.0%), and prophylactic (2.5%) purposes. Tetracycline, metronidazole, and chloramphenicol were the most frequently used AMs. The majority of the participants (90.0%) have treated birds based on their empirical experience, with little or no inputs from veterinarians. Biosecurity and AMU practices were generally low (54.0% and 34.0%, respectively). The contact with veterinarians was associated with satisfactory biosecurity practices (p=0.049). No significant factors were found to be linked with AMU. This study has provided recent evidence-based data on practices in poultry management among LBS in Abeokuta, Ogun state. The findings would be useful for policy decisions and the development of AMSP on prudent AMU among LBS.
Highlights
The poultry sector, which is the most commercialized agricultural sub-sector in Nigeria, has been expanding rapidly in the past years withThe high potential of the country’s poultry industry has been hampered by several factors such as the poor biosecurity level, bacterial, and viral poultry diseases [3]
The animal protein demand from the growing human populations in the low and middle-income countries (LMICs) has facilitated the expansion of intensive animal farming practices and systems in which AMs are used routinely to maintain health and to increase productivity [6]
The current use of AMs in Live Bird Markets (LBMs) is critical because many families in Nigeria depend on poultry products for consumption especially the meat, which is either purchased as live bird or dressed
Summary
The poultry sector, which is the most commercialized agricultural sub-sector in Nigeria, has been expanding rapidly in the past years withThe high potential of the country’s poultry industry has been hampered by several factors such as the poor biosecurity level, bacterial, and viral poultry diseases [3]. Poor hygiene and sanitary measures, and inadequate disease preventive strategies have been indicated to significantly contribute to the unsustainability of poultry production, the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials (AMs), and the occurrence of AM resistance in the poultry industry [1]. The demand for animal proteins for human consumption is rising globally. Especially the low and middle-income countries (LMICs), are saddled with the responsibilities to meet sustainable development goals (SDG) 2 and 3, which intend to increase the animal protein per capita consumption by the year 2030 [5]. The animal protein demand from the growing human populations in the LMICs has facilitated the expansion of intensive animal farming practices and systems in which AMs are used routinely to maintain health and to increase productivity [6]. AMs are widely used as prophylactics in sub-therapeutic doses which are administered to counteract the adverse effect of stress responses and growth promoters [10]
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