Evidence in support of veterinary involvement in antimicrobial stewardship training programs in the dairy industry

A preliminary study

Abstract

The recent emergence of antimicrobial resistance has triggered initiatives aimed at conveying antimicrobial stewardship in human and veterinary medicine. The importance of effective education and training programs has been highlighted as a key area of expansion for championing judicious use of antimicrobial agents. In order to provide data that would aid in design of interventions encouraging prudent antimicrobial use, Illinois dairy farmers (n=Z0) were surveyed using a probability cluster sampling technique. Survey responses were analyzed and examined for significant trends based upon potential knowledge, attitudinal, and behavioral indices of antimicrobial stewardship. The key areas of training needs that were identified from the survey responses include appropriate antimicrobial selection, the use of protocols, improved on-farm record keeping, and understanding of the factors that constitute extra-label drug use. The results from this preliminary study highlight the need for additional antimicrobial stewardship training in this sector of the livestock industry, and may be used to guide veterinarians in developing producer-focused education and training programs aimed at encouraging best practices surrounding the practical antimicrobial stewardship necessary to foster high-health animal care systems.