Biology subjects

Dowsey, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Dowsey, A..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2017

Evaluation of Metrics for Benchmarking Antimicrobial Use in the United Kingdom Dairy Industry

The issue of antimicrobial resistance is of global concern across human and animal health. In 2016 the UK government committed to new targets for reducing antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock. However, though a number of metrics for quantifying AMU are defined in the literature, all give slightly different interpretations.\n\nThis paper reviews a selection of metrics for AMU in the dairy industry: total mg, total mg/kg, daily dose and daily course metrics. Although the focus is on their application to the dairy industry, the metrics and issues discussed are relevant across livestock sectors.\n\nIn order to be used widely, a metric should be understandable and relevant to the veterinarians and farmers who are prescribing and using antimicrobials. This means that clear methods, assumptions (and possible biases), standardised values and exceptions should be published for all metrics. Particularly relevant are assumptions around the number and weight of cattle at risk of treatment and definitions of dose rates and course lengths; incorrect assumptions can mean metrics over- or under-represent AMU.\n\nThe authors recommend that the UK dairy industry work towards UK-specific metrics using UK-specific medicine dose and course regimens as well as cattle weights in order to monitor trends nationally.

epidemiology↗

bioRxiv2017

Ceasing the use of the highest priority critically important antimicrobials does not adversely affect production, health or welfare parameters in dairy cows

Due to scientific, public and political concern regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR), several EU countries have already taken steps to reduce antimicrobial (AM) usage in production animal medicine, particularly that of the highest priority critically important AMs (HP-CIAs). While veterinarians are aware of issues surrounding AMR, barriers to change such as concerns of reduced animal health, welfare or production may inhibit AM prescribing changes.\n\nFarmers from seven dairy farms in South West England engaged in changing AM use through an active process of education and herd health planning meetings. Prescribing data was collected from veterinary sales records; production and health data were accessed via milk recording and farm-recorded data.\n\nThis study demonstrates that cattle health and welfare - as measured by production parameters, fertility, udder health, mobility data and culling rates - can be maintained and even improved alongside a complete cessation in the use of HP-CIAs as well as an overall reduction of AM use on dairy farms.\n\nThis study also identified a need to consider different metrics when analysing AM use data, including dose-based metrics as well as those of total quantities to allow better representation of the direction and magnitude of changes in AM use.

epidemiology↗