Quality testing of veterinary antimicrobial products used for livestock in Vietnam, 2018-2019.

Access to quality veterinary antimicrobial products contributes to efficient treatment of diseases in Vietnamese livestock and to reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Poor quality antimicrobial drugs can lead to treatment failure, potentially influencing the inappropriate use of antimicrobials products, including increasing the dose, combining drugs, or changing to a broader spectrum antimicrobial. The objective of the study was to determine the actual concentration of antimicrobial active ingredient (AAI) in commercially available veterinary antimicrobial products as an indicator of their quality. A total of 144 veterinary antimicrobial products were purchased from randomly selected veterinary drug stores in 34 districts in eight provinces. For the qualitative analysis, we observed criteria linked to form, colour, and labelling information according to the Department of Animal Health regulations. For the quantitative analysis, high-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the actual concentration of AAI in each sample. Of the 144 samples, 131 (91%) met the national standard of quality of being within ±10% of the labelled concentration. Ten antimicrobials (6.9%) contained less than half of the labelled content concentrations. Veterinary antimicrobial product quality control is an important part of addressing AMR. To support the national action plan to lower AMR, a veterinary drug quality control program should be implemented at all stages of the supply chain to assure high quality drugs and effective treatment of sick animals.

Antimicrobial use in household, semi-industrialized, and industrialized pig and poultry farms in Viet Nam.

The use and misuse of antimicrobials in livestock production contributes to increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Antimicrobial use (AMU), has been identified as a problem in Viet Nam. There were many identified drivers of AMU in Viet Nam such as lack of access to veterinary services, easy access to cheap over-the-counter antimicrobials, and insufficient farm biosecurity. This study included chicken farmers (n = 540) and pig farmers (n = 540) from household, semi-industrialized, and industrialized farms in the North, Central, and South of Viet Nam. The objective of this study was to determine farmers rationale behind AMU on their farms and their usage patterns. On pig farms, 98.1% of the farmers reported use of antimicrobials in their production. On chicken farms, 87.9% reported use of antimicrobials in their production. The results of the survey showed that the three main purposes of AMU were treatment of sick animals, disease prevention, and weight gain. Treatment accounted for 81.3% in pig farming and 62.1% in chicken farming. The main reason to start antimicrobial therapy in pig and chicken production was observation of the first clinical signs of disease (73.9% of the pig farmers and 74.9% of chicken farmers). The proportion of industrial pig farms performing diagnostic tests before using antimicrobials was singnificantly (p < 0.05) higher than household farms (OR = 45.3). The proportion of chicken farmers who used diagnostic tests before using antimicrobials on semi-industrial (OR = 4.1) and industrial farms (OR = 26.7) were significantly higher compared with household farms. Through encouraging the prudent use of antimicrobials in animal husbandry we can reduce the use of antimicrobials at the primary production level and thereby lowering the risk of AMR.

Prevalence of Salmonella in retail chicken meat in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Infection with Salmonella (S.) is the most frequently reported cause of bacterial food-borne illness worldwide. Poultry are a common source and, in recent years, much attention has been focused in determining the prevalence of Salmonella during the different stages in the poultry production chain. This article was designed to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella serovars in retail chicken meat sold in Hanoi. A total of 262 samples were randomly collected from retail markets and examined for the presence of Salmonella. Of these samples, 48.9% were found to be contaminated with Salmonella. Predominant serotypes were S. Agona, S. Emek, S. London. The prevalence of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium was considered. These findings have highlighted the magnitude of Salmonella contamination in retail chicken meat in Hanoi. On the basis of these preliminary survey results, it is recommended that a cost-effective monitoring and surveillance system for Salmonella should be established in Hanoi. This system should be augmented by good agricultural and hygienic practices and well-designed longitudinal research activities on the whole poultry production chain.

Study on the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. from chicken meat in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Campylobacter spp. is considered to be the most common bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis worldwide. In developing countries, Campylobacter spp. diarrhea is an important cause of childhood morbidity. Chicken meat is known to be a major source of Campylobacteriosis infection in the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in chicken meat. A total of 100 samples from breast part of chicken carcass were collected from retail market in Hanoi. The samples were taken for bacteriological analysis following the ISO 10272 standards. Thirty one samples (31%) were found positive for Campylobacter spp. The most frequently isolated Campylobacter was Campylobacter jejuni (45.2%) followed by Campylobacter coli (25.8%). Due to high contamination rates of retail chicken products, special attention must be paid to good manufacturing practices of food processors and vendors. Further studies should be done to assess the risk factors of Campylobacter spp. contamination in the Vietnamese fowl production chain.