What is it about?
Very little research and data are available from low- and middle-income countries on the levels of antibiotic use to guide their regulation in animal farming such as poultry farming. Non-regulation of antibiotics in food animal industries, however, can have adverse implications for human health. This study looked at Grenadian poultry farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the use of antibiotics in poultry production and highlights where there are needs for immediate remedy measures, such as appropriately educating poultry farmers, and how governing bodies can implement monitoring and procurement systems so as to ensure that the use of antibiotics in poultry farming does not cause a risk to public health.
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Why is it important?
While low- and middle-income countries, such as Grenada, are challenged with the lack of adequate resources to undertake research and implement appropriate interventions, this study highlights how some low-cost measures, such as providing poultry farmers with appropriate education and the setting up of rudimentary monitoring and procurement system to control the use of antibiotics, can potentially significantly reduce risk to public health due to inappropriate antibiotic use.
Perspectives
It is my hope that this article encourages other low- and middle-income countries to take up the issue of antibiotic use in animal husbandry more seriously since the likely costs that will be incurred due to the rising spectre of antibiotic resistance worldwide will far exceed any of the costs associated with interventions being now proposed.
Dr. Martin S Forde
St. George's University, Grenada
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Antibiotic Use in Poultry Production in Grenada, Veterinary Medicine International, June 2019, Hindawi Publishing Corporation,
DOI: 10.1155/2019/6785195.
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