The Next Step to Further Decrease Veterinary Antibiotic Applications: Phytogenic Alternatives and Effective Monitoring; the Dutch Approach

An Evaluation of a Parenteral Antibiotic Treatment of Cattle with Non-Healing Claw Horn Lesions

Non-healing claw horn disorders are a serious problem in dairy herds because of the long duration of the disorder and the chronic pain derived from it, seriously affecting animal welfare and causing decreased production and premature culling from the herd. In a clinical trial, 40 cows in 13 herds (12 dairy herds and 1 herd with cow-calf operations) with toe necrosis (TN, 27x) or a non-healing white line disorder (NHWLD, 13x) were treated topically with an unguent-containing zinc sulphate and acetyl acid in combination with a parenteral injection of tilmycosin. An evaluation was conducted 3 months after treatment using locomotion scoring (LS), a clinical observation of the lesion, and the lactation value (the lactation value is the Net Profit of the individual animal divided by the average Net Profit of the entire herd. The mean is 100, so >100 is related to better production (combination of kg milk, %fat, and protein)) (LV) before and after treatment. The mean LS improved significantly from 4.0 (SD: 0.2) before treatment to 1.2 (SD: 0.4) 3 months after treatment (p < 0.001). The clinical presentation showed that all of the cows were cured from horn shoe infection (both TN and NHWLD). The LVs of the treated cows increased significantly from 111.2 (SD: 12.2) to 116.8 (SD: 15.1; p = 0.003).

Water pollution from pharmaceutical use in livestock farming: Assessing differences between livestock types and production systems

Livestock production is a major source of pharmaceutical emissions to the environment. The current scientific discourse focuses on measuring and modeling emissions as well as assessing their risks. Although several studies corroborate the severity of pharmaceutical pollution resulting from livestock farming, differences in pollution between livestock types and production systems are largely unknown. In fact, there is no comprehensive analysis of factors influencing pharmaceutical use-the emission's source-in the diverse production systems. To address these knowledge gaps, we developed a framework to investigate pharmaceutical pollution from different livestock production systems and applied it in a first pilot assessment to compare pollution from organic and conventional cattle, pig, and chicken production systems on selected indicator substances, covering antibiotics, antiparasitics, hormones, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Given the lack of statistics, for this article we retrieved novel qualitative information about influential factors for pharmaceutical use and pollution from expert interviews and combined this with quantitative data on, among other factors, the environmental behavior of specific substances from the literature. Our analysis reveals that factors across a pharmaceutical's entire life cycle influence pollution. However, not all factors are livestock type or production-system dependent. The pilot assessment furthermore reveals that differences in pollution potential between conventional and organic production exist, but for antibiotics, NSAIDs, and partially for antiparasitics, some factors lead to greater pollution potential in conventional systems, and others in organic systems. For hormones, we identified a comparatively greater pollution potential from conventional systems. Among the indicator substances, the assessment over the entire pharmaceutical life cycle illustrates that flubendazole in broiler production has the greatest per unit impact. The framework and its application in the pilot assessment generated insights useful to identifying which substances, livestock types, production systems, or the combination thereof have great or little pollution potential, informing more sustainable agricultural management practices. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:1495-1509. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Understanding the role of veterinarians in antimicrobial stewardship on Canadian dairy farms: A mixed-methods study

The aim of this study was to describe the factors that influence dairy cattle veterinarians´ antimicrobial prescribing, their attitudes toward reducing antimicrobial use (AMU) in the dairy industry, awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and perceived barriers to improving antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) on Canadian dairy farms. We used quantitative and qualitative research methods to consider the complexity of the antimicrobial prescription decision-making process. We designed and distributed an online survey, followed by four online focus groups with practicing veterinarians. We used frequency tables and unconditional associations to analyze quantitative data, and thematic analysis to analyze qualitative data. In total, 107 participants from four Canadian provinces responded to the survey, and 26 veterinarians participated in the focus groups. Results from both studies were triangulated to draw our key findings. We found that 1) Veterinarians must weigh numerous intra-personal and contextual considerations that could be conflicting in their decision-making process for prescribing antimicrobials. 2) Although less experienced veterinarians showed greater awareness of AMR and motivation to improve AMS than more experienced veterinarians, they also reported feeling more pressure to adapt their prescribing practices to farmers' wishes than more experienced veterinarians. 3) Some veterinarians experienced conflict between prescribing antimicrobials to maintain animal health, productivity, and welfare, and AMS, which could result in blaming others for inappropriate antimicrobial use and reducing the opportunity to critically review their own prescribing practices. 4) There were strategies and barriers in common between veterinarians and farmers such as collaborative reviews of disease treatment protocols and improving preventive medicine on dairy farms. 5) The main barriers to reducing AMU on dairy farms reported by veterinarians were concerns about animal welfare and AMU on dairy farms without consultation with the veterinarian. Our results can inform the development of AMS programs in the Canadian dairy industry.

Alternatives to Antimicrobial Treatment in Bovine Mastitis Therapy: A Review

Despite preventive and therapeutic measures, mastitis continues to be the most prevalent health problem in dairy herds. Considering the risks associated with antibiotic therapy, such as compromised effectiveness due to the emergence of resistant bacteria, food safety issues, and environmental impact, an increasing number of scientific studies have referred to the new therapeutic procedures that could serve as alternatives to conventional therapy. Therefore, the aim of this review was to provide insight into the currently available literature data in the investigation of non-antibiotic alternative approaches. In general, a vast number of in vitro and in vivo available data offer the comprehension of novel, effective, and safe agents with the potential to reduce the current use of antibiotics and increase animal productivity and environmental protection. Constant progress in this field could overcome treatment difficulties associated with bovine mastitis and considerable global pressure being applied on reducing antimicrobial therapy in animals.

Different European Perspectives on the Treatment of Clinical Mastitis in Lactation

As part of the European Network for Optimization of Veterinary Antimicrobial Treatment (ENOVAT), a webinar on the topic “Mastitis Treatment in Lactation” was held, in which eight mastitis experts from different European countries (Spain, The Netherlands, Estonia, Ireland, Poland, Finland, Germany, and Italy) presented their treatment approaches for clinical mastitis in lactation. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic approaches to identify commonalities and differences. In all eight participating countries, the decision to start treatment is usually made by the veterinarians, while the farm personnel are responsible for treatment administration. Antibiotic treatment is then typically administered intramammarily. The treatment duration often depends on the label instructions and is frequently extended if Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus uberis is involved. Administering supportive therapy, especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is an established practice in all countries. Penicillin is the first-choice drug for the treatment of mastitis in an increasing number of countries. The use of critically important antimicrobials (CIAs) such as quinolones and third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins is at a low level in Finland and The Netherlands. In Estonia, Germany, Italy, and Spain, the use of CIAs is declining and is only allowed if milk samples are analyzed in advance following the legal framework. Systems for monitoring antibiotic use are being introduced in more and more countries. This exchange of different views will help the European countries to move towards a common high standard of antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary medicine.

Probiotics and Postbiotics as Substitutes of Antibiotics in Farm Animals: A Review

Simple Summary

Breeders are searching for methods to protect farming animals against diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria. The easiest way to fight bacteria is to use antibiotics. Unfortunately, their abuse results in the presence of bacteria resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics in the environment. The restrictions on the use of antibiotics have forced the search for natural and safe ways to protect animals. It has been shown that the use of probiotics based on lactic acid bacteria may have a positive effect on the growth and use of feed by broilers, on the stabilization of the intestinal microbiota of chickens and pigs, and in the prevention of mastitis in dairy cows. The use of probiotics (live, nonpathogenic microorganisms) and postbiotics (inanimate bacteria, cell components or post-fermentation by-products) reduces the occurrence of pathogens in large-scale farms.

Abstract

Since 2006, the use of growth-promoting antibiotics has been banned throughout the European Union. To meet the expectations of livestock farmers, various studies have been carried out with the use of lactic acid bacteria. Scientists are trying to obtain the antimicrobial effect against the most common pathogens in large-scale farms. Supplementing the diet of broilers with probiotics (live, nonpathogenic microorganisms) stabilized the intestinal microbiota, which improved the results of body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI). The positive effect of probiotics based on lactic acid bacteria has been shown to prevent the occurrence of diarrhea during piglet weaning. The antagonistic activity of postbiotics (inanimate bacteria, cell components, or post-fermentation by-products) from post-culture media after lactobacilli cultures has been proven on Staphylococcus aureus—the pathogen most often responsible for causing mastitis among dairy cows. The article aims to present the latest research examining the antagonistic effect of lactic acid bacteria on the most common pathogens in broilers, piglets, pigs, and cow farms.