Pharmaco-epidemiological evaluation of veterinary antimicrobial prescriptions for cattle, swine, small ruminants, poultry, rainbow trout, and food-producing horses in Umbria in 2014.

Veterinary  antimicrobial  use  could  lead  to  problems  such  as  the  spread  of  antimicrobial resistance or the presence of residues in animal-derived products for human consumption. Related  to  this,  data  on  drug  consumption  is  in  strong  demand.  The  aims  of  this  study are  therefore  to  evaluate  a  regional  Defined  Daily  Dose  (DDDvet_Umbria)  for  all  of  the antimicrobials  prescribed  in  Umbria  during  2014  and  to  analyse  prescriptions  for  cattle, swine,  small  ruminants,  poultry,  rainbow  trout,  and  food-producing  horses.  Consumption, prevalence,  and  intensity  of  use  indicators  are  calculated.  Swine,  poultry,  and  fish  were  the  most  treated  species  during  2014.  Beta-lactams  were  the  most  frequently  consumed antimicrobials  for  these  species.  Critically  important  antimicrobials  were  mostly  prescribed for  swine,  poultry,  and  cattle.  Colistin  was  the  most  frequently  used  critically  important  antimicrobial to treat swine and poultry. This study helps to better understand antimicrobial consumption  in  food-producing  animals  by  overcoming  the  limitations  of  other  proposed approaches.  Our  data  are  useful  for  quantifying  antimicrobial  consumption,  identifying problematic  farms,  and  supports  a  comparison  among  different  animal  species.  Results highlight that the critical sectors in drug consumption - where the highest use of antibiotics were found - are swine, poultry, and trout farms.