Reversing antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, has become one of the most pressing health issues of our time. Resistant microbes, partly originating from livestock production could kill more than 39 million people between now and 2050, according to some studies. That said, there are positive signs that resistance can be reversed by lower antibiotic usage.
In many ways, antimicrobial resistance, is unavoidable. Diseased livestock needs to be treated for their wellbeing and food security. Over time, pathogens can evolve to outsmart the drugs designed to kill them. Experts agree, excessive use of antimicrobials accelerates the process. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) identifies two main culprits causing bugs to become resistant, which are: the natural tendency of microbes to adapt and survive, and poor animal husbandry practices. Animals are more susceptible to diseases when they live in stressful environments or when the hygiene conditions are poor, leading to more antibiotic usage. Following good animal management practices focusing on disease prevention, and using antimicrobials responsibly is thus essential.
Less antibiotic usage
Healthy animals, need no or less treatment, However, reducing the number of antibiotic treatments in a herd of a flock won’t automatically reduce resistant microbes which were created before, it takes time. This can be seen in the intense AMR monitoring plan, in place since 1998 in the Netherlands. It monitored the abolishment of in-feed antibiotics and the strong reduction of curative antibiotics since then. In 2022, a total of 112 tonnes of Antimicrobial Veterinary Medicinal Products (AVMPs) were sold, which is a decrease of 22.9% compared to 2021. A decrease in sales by 77.5 % over the years 2009-2022 is attained, with 2009 considered a reference year by the Dutch Government. The use of antibiotics of critical importance to human health care (especially cephalosporins of 3rd and 4th generation) is low, even in sectors which are not monitored for use. Use and sales of polymyxins decreased in 2022, for which the overall decrease since 2011 is 82.6% in sales. Of the fluoroquinolones, 52% is applied in sectors currently not yet monitored; an overall decrease of 93.1% since 2011 is observed.
Less resistance
Researchers from Wageningen Bioveterinary Research screened the faeces for specific bacteria and resistance mechanisms. To get the clearest possible overview of the trend, WUR performs the same tests every year, with the same types of bacteria. “A trend was clearly visible from the start,” according to Kees Veldman, head of the laboratory for antibiotic resistance in animals. As soon as livestock farming used less antibiotics, there was a decrease in antibiotic resistance. “In 2014, 66% of chicken meat contained bacteria that were resistant to all penicillin. Now that is just under 18%,“ Veldman adds. The laboratory also looks specifically at the bacterial species E. coli. 10 years ago, almost 8 out of 10 E. coli bacteria in chickens were insensitive to ampicillin. By 2019, that had been halved. In dairy cattle, antibiotic use has been reduced to almost zero. The downward trend in antibiotic resistance in animals has now plateaued for most antibiotics. At a lower level of resistant microbes, antibiotics stay available and effective for essential disease treatment in both animals and humans.
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