Sabato, 06 Febbraio 2021
L. L. Lazzarino
- Riferimento: Large Animal Review 2020; 26: 275-280
- Abstract: Beef production in Italy represents an important economic sector. Antimicrobials are administered to cattle to treat various pathological disorders such as respiratory diseases. The One Health approach promotes the rational use of antimicrobial drugs to contrast the antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The present study constitutes the first attempt to analyse antibiotic consumption of the beef cattle sector in the region of Piedmont (North-West of Italy). The goal of our study was to assess the antibiotic use, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, of a sample of beef farms with a software that would then enable us to set benchmark levels for the considered sample. To this aim, the antibiotic usage of ten intensive beef farms in the two-year period was recorded and analysed. For each farm that is part of the panel analysed, data about its annual antibiotic usage in 2017 and 2018, subdivided between the various antibiotic commercial products utilised, was recorded directly by the veterinarians that manage the selected farm. These data was then used as an input for the specific software, developed by the Italian Society of Veterinarians operating in the Livestock Sector (Sivar), to measure the antibiotic consumption of each selected beef farm and calculate the DDD/y (Defined Daily Dose per year), in mg/kg/day, of a singular farm. The results of data elaboration were discussed considering a DDD/y benchmark system, specifically designed for the considered farm’s panel, based as close as possible to the one already use by the Netherlands Veterinary Medicines Institute (SDa). The DDD/y benchmark levels, at the basis of the considered one, were developed to fit the specific farming conditions of the intensive Piedmontese beef cattle sector, in accordance with the veterinarians that manage the selected farms. The main results showed an average DDD/y value of the considered panel of farms equal to 2.876 considering the two-years period. The DDD/y ranged from 0.150 to 7.409 for the singular farm in one year. Differences about the relative use of different classes of antibiotics were detected between farms. Furthermore, three farms out of ten fell out of the highest set benchmark level in at least one year of the biennium analysed. Further studies will be needed to assess whether the benchmark levels set in the current pilot study can be extended to all the Piedmontese beef farming sector.
- Note: //
- Specie: animali da reddito
- Anno: 2020
- Fonte web: //
- Rivista: Large Animals Review
- Allegato: DOWNLOAD ALLEGATO
Editoria Scientifica