Great success in antibiotic minimization
In July, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) reported that the amount of antibiotics dispensed in veterinary medicine in Germany fell again in 2019. It fell by 52,2 to 670 tons compared to the previous year, which is 7,2 percent less than in 2018. The delivery volume thus reached the lowest level since it was first recorded in 2011 at 1.706 tons. This corresponds to a decrease of 60,7 percent in this period. Notably, the levels of fluoroquinolones and 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins released fell to their lowest level since 2011. Since 2014, the frequency of therapy with antibiotics in fattening animals has been determined in addition to the quantities supplied. Farmers are obliged to document each treatment over the effective days of the agent.
In order to continue to actively combat the development of antimicrobial resistance, the aim should be to prevent diseases by means of comprehensive animal health management and to limit treatment with antibiotics to what is necessary. Vaccines and immune-modulating veterinary medicines therefore play an important role in disease prevention concepts. Appropriate care for the animal with suitable feeding and husbandry as well as diagnostics that enable diseases to be detected at an early stage also help to keep animals healthy. Measures to control infection and avoid resistance transfer on the farm and in upstream and downstream stages of the food chain complete the picture in order to provide the consumer with high-quality food from animals. It should be noted that even with the best hygiene and prevention, animals still get sick and have to be treated, if necessary with antibiotics.
The new EU veterinary medicinal product regulation is associated with further expectations. The aim is to increase the availability of veterinary medicinal products in the countries of the European Union, increase the incentive for innovation and strengthen the fight against antibiotic resistance. The ordinance is to apply from January 28, 2022. Among other things, it stipulates that particularly critical antibiotics should in future be reserved for human medicine.
A European panel of experts has already formulated recommendations on these criteria and on categorizing antibiotics into four groups, namely "A: Avoid", "B: Limit", "C: Caution" and "D: Prudent". An important goal is to obtain future therapy options for veterinary medicine. Experts emphasize that new antibiotics would also have to be developed. Scientists are working intensively to understand the mechanisms of resistance development and the transmission pathways.
It is expected that the resulting starting points for new antibiotics will be reserved for human medicine. However, the new knowledge is also used to optimize known active ingredients or to further develop other control concepts or alternatives.
Animal health makes a decisive contribution to productive and thus resource-conserving animal husbandry in agriculture. Healthy animals use fewer resources such as feed, water and therefore less space, resulting in less liquid manure and emissions. The more intensive the husbandry and the healthier the animals, the greater the savings.
According to the FAO and the World Animal Health Organization (OIE), losses due to disease account for about 20% of total production. For example, mastitis management and vaccination improve the health and welfare of dairy cows. In this way, economic losses of 375 kg milk yield or up to €182 per cow/year can be avoided.
However, antibiotics should not be used as a “cheap means of production”, but serve to treat sick animals. The prophylactic use of antibiotics is prohibited. Even as so-called performance enhancers, they have not been allowed to be used in the European Union since 2006.
