ABSTRACT
Background:
Antibiotics are frequently utilized in
livestock, particularly
poultry, for
therapy and
growth promotion, resulting in antimicrobial resistance. Multidrug-resistant
bacteria are frequent in
poultry samples from
India. The purpose of this study was to better understand main
antibiotic consumption patterns in
poultry value chains, as well as
antibiotic knowledge and practices among the stakeholders.
Methods:
A
cross-sectional survey was conducted in Assam and Karnataka,
India. The
poultry farmers were interviewed on
antibiotic usage,
antibiotic knowledge,
feeding practices, and preventive
measures on the
farm.
Poultry farmers reported their
veterinarians, and we also interviewed them on
knowledge and practices related to antimicrobial use in
poultry and antimicrobial resistance. Item response theory (IRT) was used to assess the
association between the answers and demographic factors.
Results:
This
survey interviewed 62
poultry farmers and 11
veterinarians. Small
poultry farms with fewer than 4000
birds were owned by 51.6% of
farmers. Most
poultry farmers had heard about
antibiotics, and 62.9%
thought they cured all
diseases. If one
chicken is sick, 72.6% said others should be given
antibiotics to prevent the
disease. All
veterinarians utilized
tetracyclines,
aminoglycosides, and
cephalexin on the
poultry farms. Over half (54.5%) stated
antibiotics prevent
diseases, and 72.7% said they treat and prevent
diseases. Some (45.5%) said
antibiotics boost
growth. IRT
analysis showed that 8 questions assessed a
knowledge scale well. Univariable
analysis showed that Assam
farmers and
women were likely to have have more
knowledge.
Conclusion:
The
poultry farmers were mostly unaware of the relation between
antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Despite being aware, the
veterinarians agreed with use
antibiotics as a prophylactic
measure. It is vital that these stakeholders understand the repercussions of such widespread
antibiotic use. In order to increase
knowledge, frequent trainings and
antimicrobial stewardship programmes with effective
communication and
incentives for behaviour change should be conducted.