New ruminant antibiotic stewardship roadmap unveiled

Senior vets and farmers have endorsed a new roadmap that aims to close data gaps on the use of antibiotics in the ruminant sector.

The initiative is being unveiled at the BCVA Congress, which opened in Telford this morning (15 October), following a year-long collaboration between clinicians, academics and industry groups.

Although the sector’s low levels of antibiotic usage have been well documented in recent years, project co-chair and RCVS Knowledge farm medicines clinical lead Fiona Lovatt argued a single co-ordinated approach is now critical.

She said: “Until we can demonstrate how antibiotics are being used, we cannot fully substantiate claims about responsible use – or see clearly where further improvement is needed.

“We have spent a long time discussing the difficulties of collecting these data. This work gives us a practical way forward.”

Recommendations

The project’s recommendations include specific calls to:

• Develop a UK-wide minimum dataset and national reporting framework with flexibility for devolved nations
• Use anonymised AMU data supplied by dispensing veterinary practices and pharmacies
• Support annual, veterinary-led farm reviews based on trusted and confidential farmer-veterinarian conversations, underpinned by more detailed data
• Use those reviews to support continuous improvement in disease resilience, biosecurity, vaccination, diagnostics and husbandry

Members of the project’s steering group are now urging all industry stakeholders, including vets, to share responsibility for turning “evidence into action”, with the backing of senior figures from across the UK.

‘Strong reputation’

Kate Rowell, a vet, farmer and chair of Quality Meat Scotland, said: “Following this roadmap will help us prove that our sector deserves its strong reputation for high animal health and welfare.”

NFU livestock board chair Clare Wise said the project demonstrated the sector’s “continued commitment” to safeguarding welfare while reducing antibiotic reliance, while Welsh Government veterinary adviser Richard Pizzey said there was “a lot in the roadmap that we really like.

But Animal Health and Welfare NI chief executive Sam Strain argued the project was also crucial from a trading perspective internationally.

He added: “Any approach to measuring antibiotic use must work for UK reporting and satisfy our EU trading partners. The UK ruminant antibiotic stewardship roadmap offers a real opportunity to achieve this.”

Following today’s launch, senior project officials are due to take part in a webinar on the roadmap on 27 October. Registration for the event is now open via the RUMA Agriculture website.