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Opportunities and challenges with antibiotic use

02 September 2023
11 mins read
Volume 28 · Issue 9

Abstract

Antibiotic guidelines and consensus statements exist in veterinary medicine, but practitioners’ awareness of these guidelines is generally poor. Use and prescription of antibiotics is still, in some cases, based on anecdotal evidence or old dogmas. Antibiotics are an essential, scarce resource that must be used judiciously in order to preserve them for future generations. Education of the veterinary care team and pet owners about the issues with antibiotic resistance needs to be a fundamental aspect of stewardship. Understanding that antibiotic resistance is a global One Health issue that needs multidisciplinary collaboration to be addressed is paramount.

Antimicrobial resistance is a progressive process by which microorganisms, via evolutionary, environmental and social factors, develop the ability to become resistant to drugs that were once effective in de-activating them (Littmann, 2020). It is a threat from which no one can escape and inflicts enormous health, economic and social consequences (Littmann, 2020). Resistance to antimicrobials is a global public and veterinary health crisis, and if not addressed in a multidisciplinary way it will have negative impacts on patient care and animal welfare, incurring a huge economic burden. A recent report from the United Nations places the importance of antimicrobial resistance on par with the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste, and states that it cannot be understood separately from these (United Nations, 2023). This recognition at the highest levels is fundamental to raise awareness and direct resources to tackle such a complex and serious threat.

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