Antibiotic Use in Livestock Farming: A Case Study in Chiang Mai
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Abstract
Objective: To survey antibiotics uses in livestock farming at Mae-on district, Chiang Mai. Methods: Structural interview was used to collect data from 100 livestock farmers during September to October, 2015. The study employed accidental sampling method. Results: Seventy-six percent of livestock farmers were dairy farmers. Other livestock included swine, beef cattle, Thai indigenous chicken, layer chicken, and buffalo. More than 80% of the farmers reported using antibiotics. They used antibiotics throughout animals’ life cycle including the use for disease treatment, prevention and growth promotion. The most frequently used antibiotic drug was oxytetracycline (57%). Antibiotics were administered by the farmers themselves, not by those knowledgeable in antibiotics. Livestock farmers had several irrational antibiotic uses including wrong indication and overuse, for instance colistin was fed to piglets as a vitamin for promoting growth because the farmers perceived colistin as a vitamin. In addition, low-dose antibiotics were used in a long period of time which may lead to antibiotic resistance. For instance, oxytetracycline was administered in all life cycle of dairy cattle for treating wounds and inflammation in young dairy cows, for inflammation from falling or mastitis and preventing post-natal inflammation in adult dairy cows. The majority of the farmers had a moderate level of knowledge about antibiotic use in livestock farming and its impacts. Most of the farmers were uncertain that using antibiotic in farming could cause antibiotic residue in animal feces. The majority of them misunderstood that antibiotics use in livestock farming would not lead to antibiotic contamination in water and environment, not causing the release of drug resistant microorganisms into environment. They also believed that living in the area with heavy use of antibiotics in livestock farming would not lead to infection of antibiotic resistant microorganisms in human. Conclusions: Livestock farmers heavily used antibiotics. They had a moderate level of knowledge with several misperceptions on the use of antibiotics in farming. They were unaware of antibiotic contamination in environment and human.
Article Details
ผลการวิจัยและความคิดเห็นที่ปรากฏในบทความถือเป็นความคิดเห็นและอยู่ในความรับผิดชอบของผู้นิพนธ์ มิใช่ความเห็นหรือความรับผิดชอบของกองบรรณาธิการ หรือคณะเภสัชศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร์ ทั้งนี้ไม่รวมความผิดพลาดอันเกิดจากการพิมพ์ บทความที่ได้รับการเผยแพร่โดยวารสารเภสัชกรรมไทยถือเป็นสิทธิ์ของวารสารฯ
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