Use of Antimicrobials in Practice (Targeted on Cattle, Pigs, Poultry, Horses)

Abstract

Worldwide, antibiotics are used to treat and prevent bacterial infections, both in humans and animals. In Europe, 2014 data (2017 JIACRA) estimate that the average antimicrobial consumption (AMC) in animals was higher in animals (152 mg/kg) than in humans (124 mg/kg), but the opposite applied to the median AMC (67 and 118 mg/kg, respectively). In 18 of 28 European countries, AMC was lower in animals than in humans. Most European countries have taken extensive actions to promote responsible and prudent use of antibiotics in animals.

Since 2011, the overall sales of veterinary antibiotics in EU/EEA countries are decreasing [EMA European Medicines Agency: answer to the request from the European Commission for updating the scientific advice on the impact on public health and animal health of the use of antibiotics in animals - categorisation of antimicrobials (EMA/CVMP/CHMP/682198/2017), 2019], and this is mainly accounted for reduction in antibiotic use in food-producing animals. Nevertheless, there seems to be still space for improvement, especially in certain pharmaceutical forms used for mass medication, consumptions of which create big part of the total figures of overall sales. The use in animals like dogs and cats in tonnes is relatively low. ESVAC sales data indicated that the majority of consumption of veterinary medicinal products used in 2017 (excluding topical formulation) can be allocated to food-producing animals in most of the EEA countries. The sales, in mg/PCU (Population Correction Unit), of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products differ extensively between EU/EEA countries. This can partly be explained, among other factors, by the differences in the animal demographics, production systems and dosing of the various antimicrobials.