TY - JOUR
T1 - A cross-sectional study of oral antibacterial treatment patterns in relation to specific diarrhoeal pathogens in weaner pigs
AU - Jensen, Vibeke Frøkjær
AU - Jorsal, Sven Erik Lind
AU - Toft, Nils
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - According to international guidelines, the use of antibacterials should be evidence based and prudent. This register-based, cross-sectional study investigates the potential effect of laboratory findings on the patterns of antibacterial oral (batch) medication of weaner pigs, and the level of compliance with national guidelines for antibacterial use. The study population includes 1,736 weaner herds (≈65% of all Danish weaner pigs) that were subject to laboratory analysis from the National Veterinary Institute on Brachyspira pilosicoli, Lawsonia intracellularis, and E.coli (F4 and F18) in 2014. Antibacterial prescription data were obtained from the national database, VetStat. These showed that antibacterial prescriptions for use in weaner pigs was 8.6% lower in spring 2015 compared to spring 2014. The antibacterial use per pig tended (p = 0.08) to decrease more in herds with negative laboratory results compared to herds with a moderate or massive occurrence of either of the pathogens. Irrespective of the laboratory findings on diarrhoeal pathogens, tetracyclines were the most frequently used antibacterials by a substantial margin, both 3 months prior to and 2-5 months after laboratory analysis. According to the national guidelines, tetracyclines are the second or third-choice antibacterial for treatment of diarrhoeal pathogens, due to resistance and co-resistance patterns. Compliance with the guidelines increased in 14% of the herds, mostly following identification of B. pilosicoli within the herd. Between 10% and 20% of the herds did not use batch treatment, despite the presence of moderate–massive amounts of the pathogens.
AB - According to international guidelines, the use of antibacterials should be evidence based and prudent. This register-based, cross-sectional study investigates the potential effect of laboratory findings on the patterns of antibacterial oral (batch) medication of weaner pigs, and the level of compliance with national guidelines for antibacterial use. The study population includes 1,736 weaner herds (≈65% of all Danish weaner pigs) that were subject to laboratory analysis from the National Veterinary Institute on Brachyspira pilosicoli, Lawsonia intracellularis, and E.coli (F4 and F18) in 2014. Antibacterial prescription data were obtained from the national database, VetStat. These showed that antibacterial prescriptions for use in weaner pigs was 8.6% lower in spring 2015 compared to spring 2014. The antibacterial use per pig tended (p = 0.08) to decrease more in herds with negative laboratory results compared to herds with a moderate or massive occurrence of either of the pathogens. Irrespective of the laboratory findings on diarrhoeal pathogens, tetracyclines were the most frequently used antibacterials by a substantial margin, both 3 months prior to and 2-5 months after laboratory analysis. According to the national guidelines, tetracyclines are the second or third-choice antibacterial for treatment of diarrhoeal pathogens, due to resistance and co-resistance patterns. Compliance with the guidelines increased in 14% of the herds, mostly following identification of B. pilosicoli within the herd. Between 10% and 20% of the herds did not use batch treatment, despite the presence of moderate–massive amounts of the pathogens.
KW - Pigs
KW - Diarrhoea
KW - Bacterial pathogens
KW - Antibacterial choice
KW - Evidence-based prescribing
U2 - 10.1016/j.vetmic.2017.01.038
DO - 10.1016/j.vetmic.2017.01.038
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 28619141
SN - 0378-1135
VL - 203
SP - 18
EP - 24
JO - Veterinary Microbiology
JF - Veterinary Microbiology
ER -