Sales of antibiotics for use in livestock have reduced by 55% since 2014 to the lowest ever recorded level, the government’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) confirmed.
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The latest UK-Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance and Sales Surveillance (UK-VARSS) annual report shows how the UK is maintaining world-leading effective antibiotic stewardship in livestock, with reductions in farm-level antibiotic use reported by the pig, chicken, duck and trout sectors.
Antibiotic resistance - otherwise known as antimicrobial resistance or AMR - arises when microorganisms that cause infection change, and no longer respond to medicines which normally kill them or stop their growth, making infections harder to treat.
The World Health Organization recognises Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as one of the greatest threats to human and animal health in the world today.
The likelihood of resistance occurring increases when antibiotics are overused, so using them responsibly is crucial in ensuring these life-saving medicines continue to work in both humans and animals
There has been a concerted effort into reducing use of ‘last-resort’ antibiotics critical to treating disease in humans (Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics, or HP-CIAs). Sales of these have declined for a seventh consecutive year, with a 83% reduction since 2014 and now accounting for just 0.4% of the total antibiotic sales.
The UK remains one of the lowest users of antimicrobials in livestock in Europe and has achieved one of the biggest reductions in resistance.
Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, said: "Antimicrobials are the cornerstone to treating infection in humans and animals and using them responsibly is essential in safeguarding their effectiveness.
"The UK as a whole is making sustained progress in reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics through effective disease control measures, good farming practices and robust AMR surveillance. Tackling antimicrobial resistance requires a One Health approach and this record reduction shows how alongside vets, farmers and industry, we are demonstrating this year after year." ■