All cattle farmers are being asked to help compile an accurate assessment of antibiotic use within their herds by completing a major national survey carried out by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers and the University of Bristol.
The questions, ranging from attitudes towards antibiotic use to how products are selected, their use recorded and what potential usage reductions might be possible, are intended to highlight areas for improvement and targeted action.
“The survey has been launched in response to the O’Neill Review on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which concluded that both a local and global focus across animal and human medicine is required if we are to win the battle to maintain the efficacy of antibiotics,” explains RABDF chairman, Mike King.
“The completed surveys, which will be kept totally anonymous, will be made available to the University of Bristol research and reproduced in research articles. The final data will also be presented to the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance’s task force which has been established to specifically examine how meaningful targets can be developed to replace, reduce and refine antibiotic use in UK agriculture.”
The survey can be completed on line, see https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/antibioticuseonfarm
Survey completion deadline, 12 September.
