Investigation of the Prevalence of Irresponsible Antibiotic Use in Large Ruminants

Year 2025, Volume: 18 Issue: 3, 263 - 272

Emre Tüfekçi , Mert Okan Ural , Mehmet Karaahmetoğlu , Orhan Gazi Şahin

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of irresponsible antibiotic usage in large ruminants within Kayseri province. A face-to-face survey was conducted with 120 animal owners who brought their animals to the Ruminant Clinic of the Internal Medicine Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Erciyes University for diagnosis and treatment, and who had previously administered antibiotic therapy. The study categorized participants into three groups: Group 1 (n=23) consisted of informed animal owners who adhered to the veterinarian's prescribed antibiotics post-examination; Group 2 (n=56) included those who administered antibiotics based on the veterinarian's recommendations derived from the anamnesis; and Group 3 (n=41) comprised animal owners who randomly selected and administered leftover antibiotics from prior treatments. The beta-lactam group was identified as the most often utilized (26.8%) and recommended (37.0%) antibiotic group by veterinarians. Likewise, the most common antibiotic category utilized by animal owners was beta-lactam antibiotics (30.8%). It was observed that various antibiotic classes were supplied either alone or in combination to animals receiving antibiotics. Single antibiotic usage was mostly utilized and recommended by veterinarians (52.17%), whereas dual combination antibiotic usage was primarily utilized by participants in Group 3 (48.78%). The usage of combinations of more than two antibiotics was mostly used by veterinarians (21.74%). This study revealed extensive and unregulated antibiotic usage on certain scale. Thus, it is crucial at both national and international levels to safeguard animal production from potential food crises and to implement strategies against resistant strains emerging from irresponsibly antibiotic usage, which might negatively affect human, animal, and environmental health. Additionally, it is essential to educate veterinarians and breeders on responsible use of antibiotics.

Keywords

Irresponsible Antibiotic Use , Antibiotics , Antimicrobial resistance

Ethical Statement

Ethics committee approval was received for this study from the Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee of Erciyes University (Date: 28.06.2022, Number: 279). The data, information and documents presented in this article were obtained within the framework of academic and ethical rules.

Supporting Institution

This study was supported by TÜBİTAK 2209-A Research Project Support Programme for University Students 2021/2 with project application number 1919B012110210.

Project Number

1919B012110210

Thanks

The authors would like to thank the TÜBİTAK Directorate of Science Fellowships and Grant Programmes (BİDEB) that provided financial support for the realization of the project. The authors also thank the animal owners who allowed the study.

Büyük Ruminantlarda Akılcı Olmayan Antibiyotik Kullanımının Yaygınlığının Araştırılması

Abstract

Bu çalışmada Kayseri ilindeki büyük ruminantlarda akılcı olmayan antibiyotik kullanımının yaygınlığının araştırılması amaçlandı. Bu amaçla Erciyes Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi İç Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı Ruminant Kliniği’ne teşhis ve tedavi amacıyla hayvanını getiren, daha önce antibiyotik tedavisi uygulamış 120 hayvan sahibine yüz-yüze anket çalışması yapıldı. Çalışmada, veteriner hekim tarafından muayene sonrası reçete edilen antibiyotik uygulamasına devam eden bilinçli hayvan sahipleri (Grup 1, n=23), veteriner hekim tarafından muayene edilmeden, verilen anemnez sonucu veteriner hekim tavsiyesi ile antibiyotik uygulaması yapan hayvan sahipleri (Grup 2, n=56) ve daha önceki uygulamalardan artan ve elinde bulunan antibiyotikleri rastgele seçerek uygulayan hayvan sahipleri (Grup 3, n=41) olarak gruplar oluşturuldu. Veteriner hekimlerin en çok kullandığı (%26,8) ve tavsiye ettiği (%37,0) antibiyotik grubunun beta laktam grubu olduğu tespit edildi. Benzer şekilde hayvan sahiplerinin de en çok kullandığı antibiyotik grubu beta laktam grubu antibiyotiklerdi (%30,8). Antibiyotik kullanılan hayvanlara farklı antibiyotik gruplarının tek veya kombine olarak uygulandığı tespit edildi. Tek bir antibiyotik kullanımının en çok veteriner hekim tarafından uyguladığı (%52,17) ve tavsiye edildiği (%60,71), ikili kombine antibiyotik kullanımının ise en çok Grup 3’teki katılımcılar tarafından uygulandığı görüldü (%48,78). İkiden daha fazla kombine antibiyotik kullanımının ise veteriner hekim tarafından uygulandığı (%21,74) belirlendi. Bu çalışma ile belirli bir ölçekte yaygın ve kontrol dışı antibiyotik kullanımı ortaya konuldu. Sonuç olarak gelecekte ortaya çıkması muhtemel bir gıda krizine karşı hayvansal üretimi korumak ve insan, hayvan ve çevre sağlığını olumsuz etkileyecek bilinçsiz antibiyotik kullanımı sonucu ortaya çıkabilecek dirençli suşlara karşı önlem almak, Veteriner hekimlerin ve yetiştiricilerin akılcı antibiyotik kullanımı hakkında bilgilendirmek, ulusal ve uluslararası boyutta önem arz etmektedir.

Keywords

Akılcı olmayan antibiyotik kullanımı , Antibiyotik , Antimikrobiyal direnç

Project Number

1919B012110210

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