Abstract
This study was designed to assess the extent of drug and antibiotic use in small and large commercial poultry producers in Ghana, and the extent of the knowledge, perceptions and practice of drug withdrawal period in poultry production. In all, 483 poultry farmers in Greater Accra, Ashanti and Central regions were interviewed using a prepared questionnaire. The sources of knowledge of which drug to buy and proportions of farmers that used such sources were personal experience, 33.3 per cent (n=481); veterinarians, 21.4 per cent; veterinary technicians, 20.6 per cent; drug sellers or shops, 18.7 per cent; and other farmers, 6.0 per cent. The drugs used by respondents (excluding vitamins and mineral supplements) could broadly be classified as antibacterials (52.0%, n=1559), coccidiostats or coccidicidals (33.7%), and dewormers (14.3%). Among the antibacterials, the tetracyclines formed the largest class (35.7%, n=831), followed by the nitrofurans (23.1%), penicillinstreptomycin combinations (18%), and sulphonamides and sulphonamide combinations (8.3%). For the coccidiostats, the largest group comprised drugs with sulphonamides or their combination (58.4%, n=539), followed by those with amprolium and amprolium combinations (39.1%). The dewormers were mainly of two classes: those containing piperazine (50.7%, n=229) and those with levamisole (49.3%). When asked what they did with eggs when layers were under drug treatment, a significant proportion of respondents (91.1%, n=426) said they sold the eggs. When asked whether they had heard the term “withdrawal period”, 47.4% (n=479) of the respondents replied in the affirmative. The mean (± SE) days given by respondents (who had heard the term) as the minimum length of the withdrawal period (WP) were 8±0.4 days (n=166) for broilers (range 0-28 days with median of 7 days) and 7±0.4 days (n=171) for eggs (range 0-26 days with median of 5 days). The reasons given for withdrawal period being unnecessary or impracticable in Ghana were mainly economic or ignorance and lack of knowledge. The study brought out issues on withdrawal period and drug management practices that will help reduce or avoid residues in eggs and meat, and need to be tackled seriously.
Highlights
Poultry production in developing countries is beset by high mortality of birds
A major concern in public health is the use of antimicrobials/antibiotics in poultry production (World Health Organization, 2004)
This paper aims to assess the extent of drug and antibiotic use in small and large commercial poultry producers in Ghana, and the extent of the knowledge, perceptions and practice of drug withdrawal period in poultry production
Summary
Poultry production in developing countries is beset by high mortality of birds. The risk of losses from high mortality is real and cannot be afforded by the small-scale operators with holding capacities of less than 100 birds who dominate commercial poultry production in Ghana (World Bank, 1992). Antimicrobial agents have been used for therapy, as well as in animal feed to increase growth rates, improve feed conversion and reduce mortality and morbidity (Bird, 1968; Visek, 1978). Antibiotics help to improve safety of food because healthy animals result in a safer food supply through the reduction and elimination of certain pathogens. They reduce the cost and improve the quality of food production through the more efficient use of natural resources critical to meeting the increasing nutritional and protein needs of a growing global population. Antibiotics improve animal well-being because animals become healthier as a result of the diseasesuppressing effects of antibiotics
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