Prescribing antibiotic dry-cow therapy in a changing landscape

摘要

Regulation (EU) 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products states that antimicrobial products for metaphylaxis and prophylaxis should be prescribed only in exceptional circumstances, and for a limited duration to cover the period of risk. Prophylaxis, such as antibiotic dry-cow therapy (ADCT) should be limited to use in individual animals only, ADCT has been established for over 50 years and in 1963, blanket ADCT - mainly to control contagious mastitis pathogens - was one of the main pillars of the 'five-point mastitis control plan!With antimicrobial resistance predicted to contribute to the loss of 10 million human lives by 2050 if nothing is done1, governments, human health agencies, consumer groups and food retailers are putting greater pressure on food producers to rationalisethe use of antibiotics.