Antibiotics: A New Tool for British Veterinarians and Livestock Farmers

The University of Nottingham conducted a survey of 358 dairy farms—representing 7% of the U.K.’s dairy cow herd—to assess the various uses of antibiotics in the dairy industry. According to the study’s findings, over the course of a year, 25% of the farms accounted for 50% of total antibiotic use! A new online tool has been developed to promote more responsible use of antimicrobials in dairy farming.   The University of Nottingham’s Veterinary School has developed and made available for free download a tool designed for both veterinarians and dairy farmers, enabling them to better assess antibiotic consumption and reduce its use, thereby helping to combat antimicrobial resistance. The Dairy Antimicrobial Usage Calculator provides comparable metrics by converting each farm’s consumption data using common indicators: mg/pcu (Population Correction Unit) or DDD (Defined Daily Dose). The use of critically important antibiotics can also be calculated and visualized. Beyond serving as an individual monitoring tool for farmers, this tool also has broader ambitions, as it offers a comparative analysis (Antimicrobial Usage Benchmarking Tool) that includes all dairy farms that have downloaded the calculator. Data from multiple farms can be extracted, particularly in the form of graphs, making it easy to compare antibiotic usage. Over a twelve-month period, and based on a sample of some 81,000 dairy cows, the study revealed that most antibiotics were administered by injection (accounting for 78% of all antibiotics used or sold on farms). In addition, it was found that enormous quantities of antibiotics are administered via footbaths, particularly to treat digital dermatitis. As part of the fight against antimicrobial resistance, this route of administration represents a prime target for rapidly reducing use of antimicrobials. In the United Kingdom, sales of antibiotics for Livestock have decreased from 62 mg/kg to 45 mg/kg over two years. This trend is slightly lower than that observed in France but is moving in the same direction. The challenge in achieving further reductions will be to combine prevention, effectiveness, and minimal use, while preserving animal welfare and animal health—and, consequently, that of consumers. According to the University of Nottingham, about 50 veterinarians have already incorporated the calculator into their practice. The next step is to roll it out more widely, as the comparative analysis must be conducted at the national level for the system to be representative of practices across the entire beef industry. A similar initiative is currently being developed for the sheep industry.