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FIELD REPORT
Antimicrobial stewardship. The path to least resistance
S.W. Page Advanced Veterinary Therapeutics, Newtown, NSW, Australia D.J. Trott Australian Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Ecology, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Australia
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Antimicrobial resistance is now accepted as a global public health priority and an important emerging animal health issue. Antimicrobial use contributes to the selection of antimicrobial resistance and consequently only necessary high quality use of antimicrobial agents is considered appropriate. The Australian meat chicken and egg industries are historically low users of antimicrobial agents and recent surveys of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial commensal species isolated from meat chickens and the environment of laying sheds have revealed very low levels of antimicrobial resistance. Despite this very favourable position the implementation of formal and systematic antimicrobial stewardship plans will support the continued low frequency of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance.
- field report -
