Antimicrobial Selection for the Treatment of Clinical Mastitis and the Efficacy of Penicillin Treatment Protocols in Large Estonian Dairy Herds

Antimicrobial therapy approaches in the mastitis control driven by one health insights

The use of antimicrobials in the dairy production environment for mastitis control must take etiology, clinical signs, economic impacts, and regulatory frameworks into consideration. The objective of the present review is to highlight important aspects of the dynamics of antimicrobial use in dairy production and the potential impacts on the main pathogens circulating in this environment, considering the parameters set by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the priority of monitoring as well as control strategies for these agents, such as the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus and the beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli. Understanding the animal-environment-pathogen triad is crucial for establishing control measures and preventing the spread of bacterial resistance. Implementing mastitis prevention and control measures in dairy farms, considering process flow and personnel qualification, enables a reduction in antimicrobial usage and contributes to prevent the spread of resistant bacterial agents in the dairy production environment, minimizing the relapses and the chronicity of the infectious process.

From Herd Health to Public Health: Digital Tools for Combating Antibiotic Resistance in Dairy Farms

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to global food security, human health, and the future of livestock production. Higher rates of antimicrobial use in dairy farming and the sheer lack of new antimicrobials available for use focused attention on the question of how the dairy production sector contributed to the development of AMR and paved the path toward taking action to curtail it on the targeted type of farms. This paper aims to provide an introduction to a phenomenon that has gained considerable attention in the recent past due to its ever-increasing impact, the use of antimicrobial drugs, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on dairy farms, and seeks to discuss the possibilities of approaches such as digital health monitoring and precision livestock farming. Using sensors, data, knowledge, automation, etc., digital health monitoring, as well as Precision Livestock Farming (PLF), is expected to enhance health control and minimize disease and antimicrobial usage. The work presents a literature review on the current status and trends of AMR in dairy farms, an understanding of the concept of digital health monitoring and PLF, and the presentation and usefulness of digital health monitoring and PLF in preventing AMR. The study also analyses the strengths and weaknesses of adopting and incorporating digital technologies and artificial intelligence for dairy farming and presents areas for further study and level of use.

Antimicrobial use and resistance in food-producing animals-How can we protect the efficacy of antibiotics for reproductive diseases?

The ongoing emergence of antibiotic resistance jeopardizes efficacy of antibiotics in curing animals from bacterial infections that threaten their health, welfare and productivity. This review gives an overview of antimicrobial use data in food-producing animals, a discussion on how antimicrobials are used for some infections in the reproductive system in cattle, the horse and pig in Europe where there are differences in treatment practices including options to refine the use of antibiotics, and finally, a presentation of the antibiotic resistance for some bacteria collected from the reproductive system. It is shown that there are differences in applied treatment regimens for, as well as prevention of, several reproductive diseases in Europe. Some of the treatments are not evidence-based, which should be considered by clinicians and other stakeholders. It is concluded that a more refined and restrictive use of antibiotics could be achieved by adhering to evidence-based guidelines by national and international expertise including the scientific literature when available. This may call for a re-think among the animal health stakeholders regarding the use of antibiotics and may demand new skill-sets in the animal health sphere.