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Antimicrobial resistance: how changes have improved practices in the UK dairy industry
Abstract
The UK dairy industry has embraced the principles of prescribing and using antimicrobials responsibly, with great advances made over the past few years. There has been a collaborative industry approach to reduce and refine antimicrobial use on farm, with a series of case studies presented below demonstrating how farms have made huge changes to their antimicrobial use, with no compromise to herd health and welfare. With the publication of the latest Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) targets 2021–2024, there is undoubtedly still work that can be done as an industry. Harnessing and utilising antimicrobial sales and on-farm data will be crucial to motivate further change on farm.
It is now widely accepted within the UK dairy industry that one of the key targets for future proofing production is responsible antimicrobial use. It is well documented that to slow the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) reducing antimicrobial use (AMU) through altering prescribing practices and reducing use in food-producing species is necessary (O'Neill, 2015; World Health Organization, 2018). It is estimated that by 2050 10 million people will die each year as a result of drug resistant infections (World Health Organization, 2018).
The UK livestock industry has met this challenge head on with a 45% reduction in antibiotic sales for food producing animals since 2015 (Veterinary Medicines Directorate, 2019). Based on the most recently available data, the UK is still the lowest user of antibiotics amongst European countries with significant livestock farming and the 5th lowest user overall, with our total usage 70% lower than the European Union average (Veterinary Medicines Directorate, 2019; Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance, 2020).
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