Misuse of Antibiotics in Poultry Threatens Pakistan Communitys Health

TL;DR

This study surveys antibiotic use in poultry farms in Multan, Pakistan, revealing widespread misuse, including over-the-counter acquisition and multi-drug practices, which pose health risks and highlight the need for better regulation.

Contribution

First comprehensive survey of antibiotic usage patterns in poultry farms in Multan, Pakistan, identifying misuse and informing strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.

Findings

All surveyed farms used antibiotics.

Over 90% of antibiotics were obtained without prescription.

Multiple antibiotics and multi-drug practices were common.

Abstract

A survey was conducted from February 2022 to May 2022 on the usage of antibiotics at a poultry farm in different areas of Multan, Punjab Pakistan. A well-organized questionnaire was used for the collection of data. Sixty poultry farms were surveyed randomly in the Multan district. All of these Farms were using antibiotics. Antibiotics are commonly used for the treatment of diseases. Some are used as preventive medicine and a few are used as growth promotors. neomycin, erythromycin, oxytetracycline, streptomycin, and colistin are the broad-spectrum antibiotics that are being used commercially. Enrofloxacin and Furazolidone are the common antibiotics that are being used in Studies these days. The class of Fluoroquinolones is commonly used in poultry farms. Thirty-three patterns of antibiotic usage were observed at poultry farms. multi-drug practices were also observed on various farms. In this study, 25% of antibiotics are prescribed by the veterans while more than 90 % were acquired from the veterinary store. This study provides information about the antibiotics which are commonly being used in the study location district Multan. It is expected that the finding of this survey will be helpful in the development of new strategies against the misuse of antibiotics on farms.