136 On-farm biosecurity as perceived by professionals visiting Swedish farms (Research paper – Noremark, 2014)

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136 Research paper – Noremark – 2014 – On-farm biosecurity as perceived by professionals visiting Swedish farms

In Significant Impact Groups: Biosecurity
Species targeted: Pigs; Dairy; Sheep; Other;
Age: Different for different species;
Summary:
The objectives of this study were to investigate how professionals visiting animal farms in Sweden in their daily work perceive the on-farm conditions for biosecurity, the factors that influence their own biosecurity routines and what they describe as obstacles for biosecurity. Visited pig farms had a higher proportion of biosecurity measures in place, whereas the conditions were poorer on sheep and goat farms and horse farms. Many of the reported obstacles related to the very basics of biosecurity, such as access to soap and water. Responsibility was identified to be a key issue; while some farmers expect visitors to take responsibility for keeping up biosecurity they do not provide the adequate on-farm conditions. There was a gap when it came to responsibility which needs to be clarified. Visitors need to take responsibility for avoiding spread of disease, while farmers need to assume responsibility for providing adequate conditions for on-farm biosecurity.

Where to find the original material: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4036743/pdf/1751-0147-56-28.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-56-28

Country: SE

135 Effectiveness of alternative measures to reduce antimicrobial usage in pig production in four European countries (Research paper – Raasch, 2020)

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135 Research paper – Raasch – 2020 – Effectiveness of alternative measures to reduce antimicrobial usage in pig production in four European countries

In Significant Impact Groups: Specific alternatives \  AMU reduction strategies
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young; Adult;
Summary:
The reduction of antimicrobial usage (AMU) is in the focus in modern pig production. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of alternatives to reduce AMU at herd level. In a study, 68 farrow-to-finish pig herds located in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden were recruited on a voluntary basis to implement tailor-made intervention plans to reduce AMU. Alternative measures included improvement of biosecurity, vaccination, changes of feeding schemes or drinking water quality, improved pig health and welfare care as well as changes in stable climate and zootechnical measures. Following tailor-made implementation of alternative measures, a substantial reduction of AMU in pig production was achievable without jeopardizing animal health. The AMU reduction in the youngest age categories (suckling and weaned pigs) and the reduction of group treatments via feed and water was in line with the recent European Guidelines on the prudent use of antimicrobials in veterinary medicine.

Where to find the original material: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7050127/; https://doi.org/10.1186/s40813-020-0145-6

Country: BE; FR; DE; SE

134 Profile of pig farms combining high performance and low (Research paper – Collineau, 2017 )

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134 Research paper – Collineau – 2017 – Profile of pig farms combining high performance and low

In Significant Impact Groups: Biosecurity \ Pathogen management
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young; Adult;
Summary:
Pig farmers have been advised to reduce their antimicrobial usage because of the threat of antimicrobial resistance. This study investigates the profile of ‘top-farms’, which combine both high technical performance and low antimicrobial usage. A study was conducted among 227 farrow-to-finish farms in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden. Within this study, 44 top-farms were compared with the ‘regular’ farms in terms of farm characteristics, biosecurity and health status. Top-farms had fewer gastrointestinal symptoms in suckling pigs and fewer respiratory symptoms in fatteners, which could partly explain their reduced need for antimicrobials and higher performance. They also had higher biosecurity and were located in sparsely populated pig areas. However, 14 farms of the top-farms group were located in densely populated pig areas, but they had higher internal biosecurity and more extensive vaccination against respiratory pathogens. These results illustrate that it is possible to control infectious diseases with low antimicrobial usage.
134

Where to find the original material: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29051316; https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.103988

Country: CH; FR; SE; BE; DE; DK

132 Application of multiblock modelling to identify key drivers for antimicrobial use in pig production in four European countries (Research paper – Collineau, 2018)

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132 Research paper – Collineau – 2018 – Application of multiblock modelling to identify key drivers for antimicrobial use in pig production in four European countries

In Significant Impact Groups: Pathogen management \ Biosecurity
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young; Adult;
Summary:
Antimicrobial use in pig farming is influenced by a range of risk factors, including herd characteristics, biosecurity level, farm performance, occurrence of clinical signs and vaccination scheme, as well as farmers’ attitudes and habits towards antimicrobial use. So far, the effect of these risk factors has been explored separately. This study aimed to investigate the relative importance of all these risk factors in a sample of 207 farrow- to-finish farms from Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden. The occurrence of clinical signs, especially of respiratory and nervous diseases in fatteners, was one of the largest contributing risk factors in all four countries, whereas the effect of the other risk factors differed between countries. In terms of risk management, it suggests that a holistic and country-specific mitigation strategy is likely to be more effective.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29665870; https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268818000742

Country: CH; FR; SE; DE; BE

 

131 EMA and EFSA Joint Scientific Opinion on measures to reduce the need to use antimicrobial agents in animal husbandry in the European Union (Research report – EMA EFSA, 2017 )

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131 Research report – EMA EFSA – 2017 – EMA and EFSA Joint Scientific Opinion on measures to reduce the need to use antimicrobial agents in animal husbandry in the European Union

In Significant Impact Groups: AMU reduction strategies \ Monitoring and surveillance; Antibiotic use; Prudent use AB
Species targeted: Pigs; Poultry; Dairy; Beef; Sheep; Other;
Age: Young; Adult; Different for different species;
Summary: In 2017, EFSA and EMA have jointly reviewed measures taken in the EU to reduce the need for and use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, and the resultant impacts on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).Some reduction strategies have been implemented successfully in some Member States, including: national reduction targets, benchmarking of antimicrobial use, controls on prescribing by veterinarians and restrictions on use of specific critically important antimicrobials, together with improvements to animal husbandry, disease prevention and control measures.

https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4666; https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.4666

Country: EU

129 The global threat of antimicrobial resistance_science for intervention (Research report – Roca, 2015)

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129 Research report – Roca – 2015 – The global threat of antimicrobial resistance_science for intervention

AMU reduction strategies \ Monitoring and surveillance; Antibiotic use; Prudent use AB
Species targeted: Other;
Age: Different for different species;
Summary: The current threat of antimicrobial resistance plus the need to control it and find alternatives to currently used antimicrobial products has prompted the different stakeholders to take action in integrating research and public health, maintaining and promoting national and international antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research communities. In summary, the following measures can be taken to prevent emergence and spread of AMR: rational antibiotic’s use, implementing infection control measures at farm level, developing strategies to mitigate the risks for environment of antimicrobial residues, having rapid tests for diagnosis of infections, promotion of research on prevention and surveillance of AMR and developing novel antimicrobial strategies and agents, improving general and public awareness of responsible antibiotic use and risks associated to increased AMR.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4446399/; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nmni.2015.02.007

Country: ES, TR, FR, UK, BE, NL, SE, DK, US, IT, IE, MZ, DE, CH,

128 Herd-specific interventions to reduce antimicrobial usage in pig production without jeopardising technical and economic performance (Research paper – Collineau – 2017

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128 Research paper – Collineau – 2017 – Herd-specific interventions to reduce antimicrobial usage in pig production without jeopardising technical and economic performance

Biosecurity \ Pathogen management
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young; Adult;
Summary: Pig farmers are strongly encouraged to reduce their antimicrobial usage in order to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance. Herd-level intervention is needed to achieve reduction targets. The objective of this study was to asses feasibility, effectiveness and return on investment these interventions aiming at reducing antimicrobial usage in pig production. An intervention study was conducted in 70 farrow-to-finish pig farms located in Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden. Following interventions, a reduction in antimicrobial use was achieved without negative impact on the technical performance. Mortality in suckling piglets, weaners and fatteners, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio did not significantly change during the study, while the number of weaned piglets per sow per year slightly increased. Median change in net farm profit was overall positive. Costs of alternative measures are therefore not a barrier, but an opportunity to optimize production practices for sustained productivity and improved animal health.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28716198; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.05.023

Country: BE; CH; FR; SE; DE; DK;

127 Factors associated with specific health welfare and reproductive performance indicators in pig herds from five EU countries (Research paper; Chantziaras, 2018)

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127 Research paper – Chantziaras – 2018 – Factors associated with specific health welfare and reproductive performance indicators in pig herds from five EU countries

Housing and welfare \ Weaning age and management; Pathogen management
Species targeted: Pigs;
Age: Young; Adult;
Summary:
Production diseases are often the result of interactions between many factors. The focus of this study was to identify specific environment-related factors and to discuss their associations with health, welfare and reproductive performance in sows and piglets, in diverse systems using data from 130 farms from five EU countries. Eight parameters were selected from this data, four related to sow reproductive performance (litter index, replacement rate, repeat breeding (i.e. failure to breed after one mating), weaning to first mating interval) and the remaining four to litter / piglet health performance (piglets born alive per litter, piglets born dead per litter, preweaning mortality rate and weaned piglets per litter). Data analysis showed that factors related to applying good farm and health management, and optimal housing conditions were found to have a positive effect on various sow and piglet performance parameters.

Where to find the original material: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167587718303908; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.09.006
Country: BE; DE, DK; FI; UK

126 Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds – A questionnaire study (Research paper; Emanuelson, 2018)

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126 Research paper – Emanuelson – 2018 – Biosecurity and animal disease management in organic and conventional Swedish dairy herds_ a questionnaire study

Biosecurity \ Pathogen management
Species targeted: Dairy;
Age: Adult;
Summary:
A questionnaire study on biosecurity and animal disease management activities was therefore conducted among Swedish farmers with organic and conventional dairy cattle herds. Herd characteristics of the two herd types were very similar, except that pipeline/tie-stall systems were less common in organic farms and that organic farmers had a higher education level than their conventional counterparts. Farmers of organic herds were more positive to policy actions to reduce the use and need for antibiotics, and they reported waiting longer before contacting a veterinarian for calves with diarrhoea and cows with subclinical mastitis. The results indicate that animal health is as important in conventionally managed dairy herds in Sweden as in organically managed herds.

Where to find the original material: https://actavetscand.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s13028-018-0376-6; https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-018-0376-6
Country: SE

124 Investigation of antibiotic alternatives to improve health and growth of veal calves (Research paper -Short communication; Pempek, 2018)

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124 Research paper – Pempek – 2018 – Short communication_ Investigation of antibiotic alternatives to improve health and growth of veal calves

In Significant Impact Groups: Specific alternatives \ Other
Species targeted: Beef;
Age: Young;
Summary: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of lactoferrin and cinnamaldehyde on the health,
growth, and mortality of special-fed veal calves.
This study investigated the effect of 2 alternative therapies, lactoferrin (an iron-binding protein found in colostrum) and cinnamaldehyde (an essential oil of the cinnamon plant) on growth, disease incidence, and mortality risk in special-fed veal calves (1 g/d in milk replacer).
Body weight and average daily gain were similar between treatments. Neither lactoferrin nor cinnamaldehyde had an effect on diarrhea incidence.
However, the risk of navel inflammation was significantly lower for calves that received cinnamaldehyde compared with calves in the control group. Additional research is needed on the effect of the various doses of these alternative therapies on calf health and growth, in addition to different routes of administration.

Where to find the original material: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002203021830184X; https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-14055
Country: US
124 Research paper – Pempek – 2018 – Short communication_ Investigation of antibiotic alternatives to improve health and growth of veal calves