October 25, 2024

 

UK swine industry sees uptick in antibiotic use in 2023

The UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said there was an increase in antibiotic usage in the UK swine industry in 2023, interrupting an otherwise steady downward trend observed since 2015, Pig World reported.

 

Data collected through the electronic Medicine Book (eMB) indicated that antibiotic usage in UK pigs reached 85 mg/PCU (milligrams per population correction unit) last year, marking an 18% rise from the 2022 figure of 72 mg/PCU.

 

Despite this increase, the 2023 figure remained lower than the 2021 level of 87 mg/PCU, suggesting that the overall trend in antibiotic use remains downward.

 

AHDB noted that a 69% reduction in antibiotic use has been achieved since 2015 when the usage stood at 278 mg/PCU. However, they had anticipated a possible plateau or slight increase, particularly in response to disease challenges on farms.

 

Looking ahead, AHDB commented that the data for 2024 could offer a clearer picture of whether the UK pig industry has reached this expected low point or if further reductions in antibiotic use are feasible without compromising animal welfare.

 

The removal of zinc oxide at medicinal levels for post-weaned swine was expected to affect antibiotic usage, though the full impact of this change may not yet be reflected in the 2023 figures.

 

Increased disease prevalence in swine, as reported by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and notifications through the AHDB Significant Diseases Charter, including a rise in swine dysentery, posed challenges for pig farms in 2023. This was corroborated by a rise in the use of certain antibiotic classes that are used to treat diseases identified in APHA data.

 

On a positive note, the use of highest priority critically important antibiotics remained low, with figures almost halving from 0.013 mg/PCU in 2022 to 0.007 mg/PCU in 2023. Furthermore, no Colistin use was reported in pigs during 2023.

 

Mandy Nevel, Head of Animal Health and Welfare at AHDB, commented on the findings, stating that responsible antibiotic use is essential for safeguarding animal welfare and managing disease outbreaks effectively.

 

Nevel pointed out that following significant reductions over the past nine years, it was expected that the pace of annual reductions would slow, with some fluctuations in usage levels.

 

"The swine industry faced numerous disease challenges last year, exacerbated by vaccine shortages," Nevel said. "The UK has limited capacity for animal vaccine production, which remains an ongoing issue."

 

She also noted that the removal of zinc oxide, a product that helps control post-weaning diarrhoea, may force some producers to resort to antibiotics, though the full impact of this change is expected to become more evident in the 2024 figures.

 

Nevel added that understanding the reasons behind antibiotic use is crucial. To that end, eMB is set to introduce changes to the way treatment reasons are recorded, with a more detailed classification system to allow for better data analysis and tracking of trends in antibiotic use.

 

-      Pig World