December 12, 2024

 

US poultry industry reports progress in antibiotic stewardship

The US Poultry & Egg Association released updated research today quantifying antibiotic use in the country's poultry industry.

 

The report, covering data collected over multiple years, highlights improved antibiotic stewardship and a commitment to disease prevention in poultry production.

 

The industry has aimed to balance the responsible use of antibiotics classified as "medically important" to human health while ensuring the health of poultry flocks. The association's president, Nath Morris, acknowledged the industry's long-term efforts, expressing gratitude for the involvement of poultry organisations and members in this ongoing study.

 

The research, led by Dr Randall Singer of Mindwalk Consulting Group and the University of Minnesota, spans 11 years of data collection for broiler chickens and turkeys (2013–2023) and eight years for layer chickens (2016–2023). The findings are supported by peer-reviewed manuscripts published in 2023.

 

Due to differences in factors such as weight, life span, and susceptibility to illness among broiler chickens, turkeys, and layer chickens, the report advises against combining or comparing data across these categories.

 

Antibiotic use in broiler chicken hatcheries dropped from 90% in 2013 to less than 1% in 2023. The use of medically important in-feed antibiotics decreased significantly, with tetracycline use ending entirely in 2019 and virginiamycin use reduced by 99% over the 11 years.

 

Water-soluble antibiotic use also declined overall, though slight increases were noted from 2017 to 2023, attributed to rising disease incidence. For example, penicillin use decreased by 42% over the study period but rose between 2019 and 2023 due to gangrenous dermatitis outbreaks. Similarly, lincomycin use declined by 62% over the decade, despite minor increases in recent years.

 

Tetracycline and sulfonamide use in broiler chickens decreased by 70% and 82%, respectively, since 2013.

 

The study reported limited antibiotic use in layer chickens, as table egg production involves stringent withdrawal periods that prevent eggs from entering the food supply during treatment.

 

Gentamicin was administered to all chicks in the dataset on the first day of life. Chlortetracycline (CTC), the primary antibiotic used, was administered via feed for disease treatment and control. Over 95% of CTC use was for treating layer hens, with less than 0.1% of total hen-days exposed to the drug.

 

No pullets were given CTC in feed during 2022 or 2023.

 

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association will continue to support Dr Singer's data collection efforts for broiler chickens, turkeys, and layer chickens. The findings will guide the poultry industry in improving antibiotic stewardship and documenting the reasons for medically important antibiotic use on farms.

 

The research project is funded by annual grants from the US Poultry & Egg Association. It also received support under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from 2016 to 2023. A new cooperative agreement was established in September 2024 to sustain this public-private partnership.

 

-      Morning AgClips