AHDB supports RUMA in promoting responsible and prudent use of antibiotics while protecting the health of livestock in the UK.

In anticipation of today’s targets and against the backdrop of significant Research Council investment to improve understanding of antibiotic resistance risks, AHDB has a range of projects across multiple sectors looking at the issue of antibiotic use in farm animals.

These include how best to get an accurate record of usage, developing best practice and how to further reduce usage, yet still effectively treat disease.

AHDB is actively engaged with livestock farmers, vets and supply chain stakeholders in building sustainable animal health and encouraging the responsible use of all medicines to ensure good health and welfare of farmed animals.

Increasingly farmers encourage professionals, such as vets, to be an integral part of their farms' management regimes, in order to optimise management of animal health and minimise the use of antibiotics.

«Agriculture is committed to playing its part in a «One Health» collaborative approach to reducing the risk of resistance developing from bacteria being exposed to antibiotics in people, in animals or in the environment,» said AHDB Research Director Dr Bill Parker.

«AHDB promotes disease prevention methods such as vaccination, biosecurity and improved management and housing to reduce the need for antibiotics on farms by preventing and eliminating disease».

«AHDB has funded development and supports delivery of the Mastitis Control Plan in the dairy sector, national eradication of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) in the beef and dairy sectors, BVDFree in England and an education programme for sheep farmers on controlling enzootic abortion through vaccination.»

Significant progress has already been made by livestock farmers. Within the pig sector an electronic medicine book (eMB) has been developed by AHDB to accurately record and report usage on a national level.

In terms of English pig production, eMB data covers 61% for 2015 and 70% for 2016. The data are inputted by producers and, at a national, aggregated level, they provide an estimation of usage which allows year-on-year comparisons to be made.

According to eMB, the total antibiotic usage in pigs fell by 34% in just one year — down from 278 mg/kg in 2015 to 183 mg/kg in 2016. Critically important antibiotics (CIAs) recorded in pigs decreased by 73% to 0.3 mg/kg in 2016 — representing just 0.1% of total antibiotic usage recorded in 2016. Colistin usage recorded in eMB fell by 75% to 0.2 mg/kg in 2016. Colistin, as with other antiobiotics, can only be prescribed by a vet and is a medicine of last resort on farm.

Other projects include an online «calculator» which has been developed for use by vets prescribing antibiotics when caring for dairy cows and sheep to monitor usage.

AHDB has also funded research into bacteriophage in pigs which was conducted by the University of Leicester. Phages could accompany or replace the use of antibiotics across all livestock and may be replicated and drive change in the treatment of people.

AHDB Beef & Lamb is also working to promote the use of vaccination policies alongside good management practices and housing design to reduce cases of respiratory disease in beef cattle.

Dr Parker added: «Between 2014 and 2016 sales of antibiotics for use in livestock have fallen by more than a quarter which suggests that as awareness around the responsible use of antibiotics grows alternative approaches to effective control and prevention of disease are being explored and implemented by vets and farmers.»

«It is not as simple as a blanket «use less' message to industry as this could impact on responsible dosage and course length, ultimately increasing the risk of resistance developing. Mixed messages could also lead to the withholding of antibiotics in favour of less effective treatments, which potentially could lead to poorer animal welfare.»

«AHDB welcomes the RUMA Task Force targets which further supports our on-going work to build sustainable animal health and encourage the responsible use of all medicines in livestock. While the targets are challenging and will require concerted effort from all, we believe the industry is well placed to meet these targets while still prioritising animal welfare.»

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