The 2018 UK Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance and Sales Surveillance Report (VARSS) published last week showed that there was a 9% fall in sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals between 2017 and 2018. Total sales of highest priority critically important antibiotics (HP-CIAs) fell by 18%. Scientific observation of antibiotic resistance indicates that the majority of the main veterinary pathogens are still vulnerable to authorised veterinary antibiotics, and this includes those antibiotics that have been authorised for quite some times. E coli in poultry has demonstrated noteworthy decline in resistance.

“The 2018 UK Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance and Sales Surveillance Report (VARSS) shows a 9% fall in sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals. “

James Russell, junior vice-president at the BVA, said: “We are pleased to see further reductions in antibiotic sales in the latest VARSS report, which is a testament to the hugely successful collaborative work being carried out by vets, farmers and the industry to steward responsible antibiotic use and champion greater disease prevention measures across each of the eight livestock sectors. It is particularly commendable to note that sales of antibiotics in food-producing animals have fallen by an impressive 53% between 2014 and 2018. Antimicrobial resistance remains a huge concern for vets, which is why we must maintain this momentum in the face of the ongoing global threat it poses to the health of animals, humans and the environment.”