Use Of Antibiotics In Animals Research Articles

24.H. Round table: AMR and cancer: cross-cutting priorities for an integrated public health and primary care approach

Abstract Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a threat to global public health, development and sustainability necessitating prompt action. Antimicrobial agents are essential to treat humans and animals, but their irrational use has caused rapid AMR growth. Antibiotics are prescribed as 'prevention' for lack of diagnostics (Dx), particularly Point-of-Care Testing tools (PoCTs) for timely and reliable identification of a bacterial versus a viral infection. Given the lack of inexpensive readily available PoCTs, current care remains inefficient, particularly in terms of integrating public health and primary care (PC). PC represents a natural setting for exchanges with PTs, survivors and healthy individuals alike, and an optimal setting to implement interventions such as behavioural change for rational antibiotic use and vaccination. Considering the rise in both cancer incidence and AMR, health systems are seriously threatened, the impact extending well beyond the health sector. Cancer PTs represent the highest burden, with AMR compromising the effectiveness of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The most common combination treatments result in immunosuppression exposing PTs to infections. This means PTs often develop infections, frequently recurrent, requiring antibiotic treatment; evidence suggests even key diagnostic procedures, e.g. prostate biopsy, are compromised; the risk of infection necessitates prophylactic treatment and/or resulting iatrogenic infections become difficult to manage. Also, modern oncological therapies rely on immunotherapy to an increasingly more important level. Immunotherapy and AMR interactions and interrelationships ought to be further explored. The effect of AMR on the lives of cancer PTs and carers, along with its impact on health systems is far from being well understood, with commonalities and topic interdependence largely absent from national cancer plans. An in-depth examination of cancer PTs across different settings and countries is needed to better understand which are the most relevant actions and in which settings to implement them. Similarly, the relevance of cancer plans, roadmaps and national efforts, ought to be examined in the context of AMR, incl. the 'One-Health' approach. The panel will discuss all above mentioned issues, but also attempt to highlight other key considerations that ought to be integrated in national cancer plans, incl. R&D incentives, curbing the use of antibiotics in animals and of their presence in the environment through cross-sectoral priority setting. The principal objectives of the workshop are to a. examine AMR implications for cancer PTs in a comprehensive manner encompassing PC, and b. inform on the next steps for interdisciplinary, cross-border and cross-sectoral collaboration. Following five 12-min presentations, the Panel and the Chairs will enter a 30-min discussion. The audience will be able to respond to key propositions and ask questions through an interactive element. Key messages Prioritise the development of Dx/PoTCs, PC and public health integration, and the assessment interventions for populations at risk. Involve PC practitioners and patients to rationalise use and raise awareness, invest in interprofessional education, and engage in interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral dialogue.

What are the barriers to implementing national antimicrobial resistance action plans? A novel mixed-methods policy analysis in Pakistan

Despite political commitment to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR), countries are facing challenges to implementing policies to reduce inappropriate use of antibiotics. Critical factors to the success of policy implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), such as capacity for enforcement, contestation by influential stakeholders and financial interests, have been insufficiently considered. Using Pakistan as a case study representing a populous country with extremely high antibiotic usage, we identified 195 actors who affect policies on antibiotic use in humans and animals through a snowballing process and interviewed 48 of these who were nominated as most influential. We used a novel card game-based methodology to investigate policy actors' support for implementation of different regulatory approaches addressing actions of frontline healthcare providers and antibiotic producers across the One Health spectrum. We found that there was only widespread support for implementing hard regulations (prohibiting certain actions) against antibiotic suppliers with little power-such as unqualified/informal healthcare providers and animal feed producers-but not to target more powerful groups such as doctors, farmers and pharmaceutical companies. Policy actors had limited knowledge to develop implementation plans to address inappropriate use of antibiotics in animals, even though this was recognized as a critical driver of AMR. Our results indicate that local political and economic dynamics may be more salient to policy actors influencing implementation of AMR national action plans than solutions presented in global guidelines that rely on implementation of hard regulations. This highlights a disconnect between AMR action plans and the local contexts where implementation takes place. Thus if the global strategies to tackle AMR are to become implementable policies in LMIC, they will need greater appreciation of the power dynamics and systemic constraints that relate to many of the strategies proposed.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Veterinarians Towards Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship in Nigeria.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern and the inappropriate use of antibiotics in animals and humans is considered a contributing factor. A cross-sectional survey to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of veterinarians regarding AMR and antimicrobial stewardship was conducted in Nigeria. A total of 241 respondents completed an online survey. Only 21% of respondents correctly defined the term antimicrobial stewardship and 59.8% were unaware of the guidelines provided by the Nigeria AMR National Action Plan. Over half (51%) of the respondents indicated that prophylactic antibiotic use was appropriate when farm biosecurity was poor. Only 20% of the respondents conducted antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) frequently, and the unavailability of veterinary laboratory services (82%) and the owner’s inability to pay (72%) were reported as key barriers to conducting AST. The study findings suggest strategies focusing on the following areas may be useful in improving appropriate antibiotic use and antimicrobial stewardship among veterinarians in Nigeria: increased awareness of responsible antimicrobial use among practicing and newly graduated veterinarians, increased dissemination of regularly updated antibiotic use guidelines, increased understanding of the role of good biosecurity and vaccination practices in disease prevention, and increased provision of laboratory services and AST at affordable costs.

Review Article. Effects of Antibiotic residues in animal products on human health and environments

Veterinary pharmaceutical products are among the most important components of animal feed production, especially antibiotics. the main use of antibiotics in animals is to treat and prevent diseases, and to promote growth. Antibiotic use in animals can cause residues of antibiotics in foods such as meat., eggs , and milk. These residues can cause numerous side effects such as human transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria, pathological immunological effects, allergies, parasitic mutations, nephropathy (gentamicin), hepatotoxicity, reproductive disorders, toxicity to the bone marrow (chloramphenicol), and even carcinogenic , sulfametazine and oxytetracycline.
 This analysis offers information important to veterinarians, livestock produces and public safety on the regulation of drug residues in animal products.

An ethical overview of animal welfare and the use of antibiotics

Antibiotic use in livestock has been indicted for playing a key role in the emerging public health calamity of antibiotic resistance in human beings. While antibiotics are vital medical tools that help to fight bacterial infections, scientific opinion proposes that if animal farmers continue to use them sub-therapeutically in animal feeds, they will pose a severe threat to human health as well as animals. This paper object to the use of antibiotics in animal feeds, not only because it affects human health, but insofar as it also promotes or makes possible farming practices that significantly harm animals, and has no independent value aside from doing so. This paper argues that it is possible to stop the spread of disease through proper sanitation and effective cleaning of farms while providing animals with environments that fit their needs and interests. Furthermore, improvements in production practices that reflect good animal welfare is something that we owe to animals, as they are beings with interests and needs that ought to be respected and protected in the same way that our interests and needs ought to be.

Assessment of Farmers’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices on Antibiotics and Antimicrobial Resistance

Simple SummaryAntibiotic resistance is a global problem that threatens human and animal health and has increased in recent years. Although many factors are responsible for the development of resistance, antibiotics used in animals for preventive, therapeutic, and other purposes play a major role. Conscious and rational antibiotic use in animals will contribute to decreases in resistance. It is therefore important to determine knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of farmers working in the livestock sector with regard to antibiotic knowledge, use, and resistance in order to develop communication strategies accordingly. The aim of this study was to measure the knowledge of livestock farmers about antibiotics by conducting a questionnaire survey. As a result of the survey, it was found that knowledge of the participants on antibiotics and resistance was very low. It was concluded that periodic training programs can be employed to overcome this problem and raise awareness among farmers.The aim of this study was to determine knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of farmers dealing with animal husbandry in eastern Turkey with regard to antibiotic knowledge, use, and resistance. A face to face questionnaire survey, consisting of five sections with 42 questions in total, was applied to 360 farmers located in the region. The questions in the first and fifth sections were closed-ended while those in other sections were prepared using the Likert scale. It was determined that knowledge of the farmers about antibiotic use, duration, storage, and resistance was well below desired levels. This was particularly remarkable in the participants with a low level of education, living in rural areas, and those at 48 years of age or over. In contrast, younger and highly educated participants living in urban areas were more knowledgeable about antibiotic use and they were well aware of the fact that resistance might pose a great risk for public health. Providing appropriate antibiotic use in animals through systematic training of livestock farmers is crucial in tackling the resistance problem.

Antibiotic use in animals and humans in Australia.

Antibiotic use in animals and humans in Australia.

Spatial and seasonal variations of antibiotics in river waters in the Haihe River Catchment in China and ecotoxicological risk assessment

Concentrations of widely used antibiotics were predicted to be the highest in the Haihe River Catchment across China previously, potentially resulting in high ecotoxicological risks in this region. As a result of growing usage and regulation of antibiotic use in animals, the pattern of use may have altered temporally for different antibiotics. It is important to monitor the occurrence of antibiotics within different categories for understanding their mass loading to the catchment and the potential ecotoxicological risks involved. This study investigated the seasonal occurrence and spatial variation of 15 antibiotics in the Haihe River Catchment during 2016–2017. The investigated compounds included veterinary antibiotics, human-use antibiotics, and those intended for both human and animal use. Measurements reported from previous studies were compared with the results of this study and indicated that the use of veterinary antibiotics is probably increasing around the catchment. The ∑antibiotics concentration (i.e. the summed concentration of the 15 target antibiotics) ranged from 414 to 1951 ng/L, with an average of 821 ng/L. Discharges from wastewater treatment plants were the main sources of these compounds. The mass loading of antibiotics to the river waters was higher during wet seasons than during dry seasons. The mass fluxes of the antibiotics continuously increased towards the lower reaches of the rivers. The total annual input of the antibiotics from the Haihe River and Yongdingxin River into the Bohai Bay was 5008 kg/yr. Ofloxacin, trimethoprim, leucomycin, anhydro erythromycin and florfenicol were the predominant antibiotics, whilst amoxicillin, anhydro erythromycin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin and enrofloxacin may pose high ecotoxicological risks to the investigated aquatic ecosystem. Several antibiotics selected in this study were reported for the first time in this catchment. This study provides important information for chemical management and indicates that further monitoring is needed on the more harmful and veterinary antibiotics in the catchment.

Urgent action on antimicrobial resistance

Urgent action on antimicrobial resistance

Understanding policy dilemmas around antibiotic use in food animals & offering potential solutions.

The looming concern of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has prompted the government of many countries of the world to act upon and come up with the guidelines, comprehensive recommendations and policies concerning prudent use of antibiotics and containment of AMR. However, such initiatives from countries with high incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in food animals are still in infancy. This review highlights the existing global policies on antibiotics use in food animals along with details of the various Indian policies and guidelines. In India, in spite of availability of integrated policies for livestock, poultry and aquaculture sector, uniform regulations with coordinated initiative are needed to formulate strict policies regarding antimicrobial use both in humans and animals. In an attempt to create effective framework to tackle the AMR, the Indian Council of Medical Research initiated a series of dialogues with various stakeholders and suggested various action points for urgent implementation. This review summarizes the recommendations made during the various consultations. The overarching aim of this review is to clearly delineate the action points which need to be carried out urgently to regulate the antibiotic use in animals.

Beneficial effects of probiotic and phytobiotic as growth promoter alternative to antibiotic for safe broiler production.

Objectives:Drug residues in poultry products could lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria as in any living animal and human alike. Extensive use of antibiotics in animals to promote growth rate, increase feed efficiency, and for prevention of intestinal infections has led to the development of resistant bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of biological supplementation of probiotic, phytobiotic, and their combination over antibiotic on growth performance, microbial load, and hematological parameters in Broiler. Materials and methods:Sixty-five broiler chicken were divided into five groups (12 birds in each group), namely, group A (basal diet), group B (antibiotic, Renamycin 100®), group C (phytobiotic, Galibiotic®), group D (probiotic, Bio-Top®), and group E (combination, Galibiotic®+Galibiotic®) and five were sacrificed for baseline data on day 0. Results:Average final live weight gain was highest in group D (probiotic) than other groups. The feed conversion ratio was highest in group A and lowest in the probiotic group (group C). Blood samples were collected on 14th and 28th day for hematological studies. The mean hematology values regarding the total erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate differed significantly (p < 0.05) among groups. The pH of all the treatment groups was significantly decreased compared to the control group (p < 0.05) where group C was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than all other groups. Highest total viable cell count was observed in control (group A) and total coliform count in phytobiotic (group C) was significantly lower than in other treatment groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion:It may conclude that biological supplements have a significant positive impact on growth performance, hematological parameters, and gut microbial load in broiler chicken of which the probiotic showing the best effects. Supplementation of probiotic in feed could be one of the best candidates as an alternative to antibiotics as growth promoter for safe broiler production.

The emergence of extended-spectrum Β-lactamases and carbapenemases from none human sources: The challenges and opportunities

The widespread of extended-spectrum β-lactamases and Carbapenemases from none human is rapidly increasing worldwide. Their presence in all ecosphere manifesting the spotlight of the global public health threat that significantly challenging modern medicine even to the recent one-health system approach. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics are the main triggering factors for antimicrobial selective pressure and clonal dissemination of resistance genes both in human and animal sources. Several none human sources are acting as the main reservoir of various microbial resistance genes leading to create a relentless epidemiological picture in the future. The irrational use of antibiotics in animal’s veterinary medicine reinforce the dissemination of extended-spectrum β-lactamase and carbapenemases especially among Gram-negative bacteria from food-producing animals, birds, lakes, rivers, livestock, animal husbandry, industries, sewages and hospital wastewater to clinical and community settings. Indeed, antimicrobial resistance genes harboured by the bacterial strains are capable of transmitting into clinical and community settings. The global dissemination of the multi-drug resistant extended-spectrum β-lactamases and carbapenemases-synthesizing organism across all ecosystems is limiting the appropriate choice of antimicrobial agents to treat infection judiciously. Lack of public awareness to antimicrobials, poor sanitary conditions, and poor infection prevention measures combined with poor antimicrobial stewardship creates an ubiquitous spread of antimicrobial-resistance genes across the entire ecosystem. The direct or indirect contact of human with contaminated animal products such as urines and faeces that have been contaminated with pathogenic bacteria hastens the horizontal gene transfer of resistance genes across all the community of the bacteria. As a result, a systematic and careful investigation of the potential resistance gene pools reservoirs to address the current emergence of β-lactamases hydrolyzing organisms through integrated, intensive, holistic and scientific rigours activities are widely in need. Besides, understanding of the complex human, animal and wider environment interplay has found the frontline strategy to mitigate antimicrobial resistance burdensome in human and animal settings.

511 Managing antibiotics use: case the Netherlands.

Antibiotics use in animals has become part of societal discussion. Initial national goal was to reduce use by 50% in 2013 compared to 2009. Herd health and treatment plans were introduced. From 2012 on, 3/4 generation drugs (3/4GE) are only allowed in exceptional cases. To gain insight, antibiotic use and herd/farmer factors were examined on 94 dairy farms during 2005–2012. Level of use (in no. of daily dosages-ADDD) was rising in period 2005–2007, followed by a period of growing societal interest in animal antibiotic use resulting in a reduction in use from 2010/11 on. On average, 68% was applied to the udder: mastitis 25% and dry-cow therapy 43%; other drugs tended to decrease the most, while farmers were reluctant to lower use of dry-cow therapy tubes. Use of 3/4GE minimized from 18% of ADDD in period 2005–2010 to 1% in 2012. The drop in use varied between 3 groups of farmers studied of which one was guided for some years. In recent years antibiotic use stabilised at a relatively low level. A logistic function fitted to the adaptation process. Especially use for dry cow therapy could be well explained by health status, cell count and calving interval. The “more successful” farmers seemed to use somewhat more antibiotics than the other colleagues, and were also able to adapt more easily to the new conditions. Since 2012, all farms are monitored by Veterinary Medicines Authority. Benchmark thresholds are used to assess whether a livestock farm falls within the target, signalling or action zone Nationally, a 64% reduction was achieved through 2016: highest use and reductions in broiler (72%) and pig sector (57%); high use and lowest reduction in veal sector (38%); 48% reduction in dairy sector. Insight in variation in application use by veterinarians will also be presented.

Benefits of probiotics and/or prebiotics for antibiotic-reduced poultry.

Antibiotics have been used for many years as growth promoters. They contribute to build the immunocompetence (i.e. ability of the body to produce a normal immune response following exposure to an antigen) of birds against infectious diseases and as growth promoters. Antibiotics have been widely used as growth promoters in the field of animal production since 1940s. There is a hypothesis that is effect is brought about by dynamic biological interaction with the micro-flora in the intestine. In 1951, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of antibiotics as animal additives to prevent disease in general and, in some cases, to improve efficiency without veterinary prescription. In the 1950s and 1960s, each European state approved its own national regulations about the use of antibiotics in animal feeds. However, using antibiotics may develop bacteria resistant to these drugs. Accordingly, the use of antibiotics has been minimized and replaced by effective dietary supplements such as probiotics and/or prebiotics that are claimed to enhance growth and positively modulate the immune response. The current review paper sheds light on the benefits of using probiotics and/or prebiotics in poultry feed versus the risk of using antibiotics and the mechanisms by which they exert their effects, as well as the economic analysis of using these beneficial additives in poultry feed.

A one-health approach to antimicrobial resistance.

Widespread use of antibiotics in animals either as growth promoters or for metaphylaxis may drive the spread of clinically relevant drug resistance genes and pathogens. New work uncovers drug resistance gene patterns from livestock across European farms and finds a correlation with agricultural antibiotic use.

How Political Cultures Produce Different Antibiotic Policies in Agriculture: A Historical Comparative Case Study between the United Kingdom and Sweden.

The purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of how different countries formulate and regulate antibiotic use in animals raised for human consumption. A comparative case study was undertaken, analysing historical documents from the 1950s to the 1990s from the UK, the first country to produce a scientific report on the public health risks of agricultural antibiotic use; and Sweden, the first country to produce legislation on the growth promotor use of antibiotics in food animals. Sheila Jasanoff's concepts of ‘co‐production’ and ‘political cultures’ have been used to explore how both countries used different styles of scientific reasoning and justification of the risks of agricultural antibiotic use. It will be argued that national dynamics between policy, science and public knowledges co‐produced different risk classifications and patterns of agricultural antibiotic use between both countries. UK's political culture used ‘expert committees’ to remove the issue from public debate and to inform agricultural antibiotic policies. In contrast, the Swedish ‘consensus‐oriented’ political culture made concerns related to agricultural antibiotic use into a cooperative debate that included multiple discourses. Understanding how national policies, science and public knowledges interact with the risks related to agricultural antibiotic use can provide valuable insights in understanding and addressing countries agricultural use of antibiotics.

Tackling antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals

Tackling antimicrobial resistance in food-producing animals

History and Current Use of Antimicrobial Drugs in Veterinary Medicine.

This chapter briefly reviews the history and current use of antimicrobials in animals, with a focus on food animals in the more economically developed countries. It identifies some of the differences between human medical and food animal use, particularly in growth promotional and "subtherapeutic" use of medically-important antibiotics in animals. The public health impact of the extensive use of antibiotics in food animals for these purposes, differences internationally in such usage, and the major changes in current practices now underway in agricultural use are summarized. The emerging framing of the dimensions of antimicrobial resistance within a "One Health" framework is focusing global efforts to address the antimicrobial resistance crisis in a collaborative manner. The rapidly evolving development and application of practices of antimicrobial stewardship in animal is a critical part of the huge global effort to address antimicrobial resistance. The outcome is still uncertain.

Issues and consequences of using nutrition to modulate the avian immune response

Combatting antimicrobial-resistant bacteria is a high priority for both public health and agriculture in the United States and globally. Antibiotic use in animals and humans is considered a major risk factor in the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals, humans, and the environment. A worldwide emphasis on research into the development of new alternatives to antibiotics is ongoing. Alternatives to antibiotics are broadly defined as any substance that can be substituted for therapeutic drugs, which are increasingly becoming ineffective against pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites. One promising approach involves host-directed immunomodulatory therapies, whereby natural mechanisms in the host are exploited to enhance therapeutic benefit. The objective is to initiate or enhance protective antimicrobial immunity while limiting inflammation-induced tissue injury. The interaction between poultry nutrition, nutrients, and dietary factors and the bird’s immune response has long been known. However, the interplay between nutritional processes and the immune system is incompletely understood. Specifically, precise cellular and molecular immune responses invoked by feed components and the role of the gut barrier and microbiota on the interaction between the immune system and nutrition remains to be fully elucidated. Further, this review will point out some of the areas that have been either neglected when studying the effects of nutrition and nutrients on immune function (the effect of the gut microbiome) or the non-intentional effects of over-feeding various nutrients on the avian immune response (feed-induced inflammation and meta-inflammation).

Assessment of antibiotic use in farm animals in Rwanda

The irrational use of antibiotics in humans and animals is highly related to the emergence and increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria worldwide. A cross-sectional survey aimed at evaluating the current level of practices regarding antibiotic use in farm animals in Rwanda was carried out countrywide. Interviews were conducted on 229 farmers rearing different types of animals. The study has revealed that almost all respondent farmers could name at least one antibiotic used in farm animals and peni-streptomycin was named by most of them (95.6%). The use of antibiotics in farm animals was observed in the majority of respondents (97.4%). It was found that 44.4 and 26.5% of respondents reported that they used antibiotics for disease prevention and growth promotion, respectively. The use of non-prescribed antibiotics in animals was also reported by more than the half of respondent farmers (55.6%). The majority of farmers had a moderate level of practices regarding antibiotic use in farm animals (73.5%), very few had a high level (26%) and only one respondent had a low level. The high level of practices in regard to antibiotic use in animals was associated with the location of the farm, the type of reared animals, and the rearing system. The results of this study give an insight into antibiotics usage practices in farm animals in Rwanda. The generated information can guide sensitizations and promotions of the prudent use of antibiotics among farmers in order to limit the increase of antibiotic resistance in the country.