Improving antimicrobial stewardship is a pressing issue for the animal livestock industry that requires a comprehensive approach. This research identified and addressed the social, economic, and personal factors that influence decision-making among dairy industry stakeholders, fostering more effective and responsible antimicrobial use.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in livestock pathogens is a challenge for both public health and animal welfare. Excessive use of prescribed antimicrobial drugs in the treatment of livestock diseases can lead to antimicrobial resistance, leading to ineffective treatment as animals become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Canada’s dairy sector is comprised of approximately 10,000 farms, where antimicrobial use is a frequently used tool. Increasingly, experts advise a decrease in the use of antibiotics, opting instead for prudent antimicrobial stewardship, or rational use. However, a transition to antimicrobial stewardship requires an increased understanding of microbiological factors that influence antimicrobial resistance, and the social factors of why farmers rely on antimicrobial use. Policy or outreach strategies often fail when economic and social factors are not considered, such as crucial personal factors around risk aversion or personal experience, so effective antimicrobial stewardship must consider the human perspective.
Dr. Stephen LeBlanc and his team explored factors influencing AMR and antimicrobial stewardship among dairy producers and veterinarians, aiming to influence decision-making towards the prudent use of antimicrobials. This project used a mixed-method approach, including a large-scale field study to collect demographic data from dairy farmers. The team characterized farmers’ actual antimicrobial drug use with prescription and sales data. The team also conducted focus groups with dairy industry stakeholders to understand the values that influenced decision-making. The team’s work emphasized the importance of external (social, economic) and internal (personal) factors in decision-making among stakeholders, considering factors such as animal health, risk avoidance, and other variables interact to drive decisions around antimicrobial use. Finally, the team also conducted several studies to understand factors of antimicrobial resistance in livestock pigs to the pathogen Streptococcus suis (S. suis), and generated methods for treating this illness with beneficial bacteria (microbes) rather than antimicrobials.
LeBlanc’s team conducted several studies to understand antimicrobial use and AMR risk perception, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to capture the complexities of the subject. In a wide-scale survey of dairy producers in 4 provinces (Ontario and Atlantic Canada), the researchers found that previous experience most influenced a producer’s decision to adopt an antimicrobial treatment. This survey was coupled with several focus groups, including seven focus groups conducted with dairy producers and four with veterinarians. The results of the first set of focus groups affirmed the findings of the survey; farmers were largely influenced by previous experience, as well as the advice of referents who were often other producers, in addition to family members or least commonly, veterinarians. Producers were also found to be generally risk-averse, adhering to a strong sense of personal responsibility to maintain the health of their livestock. Focus groups held with dairy veterinarians presented similar findings; concerns about animal welfare were a main barrier to reducing AMU among veterinarians, who were found to balance complex external factors in their decision-making process that may be contradictory.
The use of both qualitative and quantitative methods, including focus groups and surveys, allowed the team to gain insight into the range of perceptions held among dairy farmers. As a result of these findings, the researchers advocate for tailored strategies to promote prudent antimicrobial use among dairy farmers, understanding that a range of attitudes, values, and AMR awareness levels shape AMR risk perception and openness to change. The findings of this project will be critical for designing informed knowledge translation strategies and policies that consider the variety of social, economic, and personal factors influencing the reliance on antimicrobials among producers. The team’s work also points to an opportunity to increase the involvement of veterinarians in on-farm antimicrobial-related decisions. The results of the research project highlight that efforts to increase antimicrobial stewardship must address these issues with thoughtful outreach, educational strategies, and measures to balance perceptions of risk for producers.
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Dr. Jan Sargeant, Dr. Dan Tulpan, Dr. David Kelton, Dr. Emma Morrison, Dr. Caroline Ritter, Dr. Steven Roche, Dr. Julang Li, Dr. Christine Baes, Dr. Ricardo Ventura, Dr. Brandon Lillie, Dr. Jutta Hammermueller, Dr. Zvonimir Poljak, Dr. Vahab Farzan, Dr. Nicole Ricker, Dr. Robert Friendship, Dr. Davor Ojkic, Dr. Emily Arndt, Dr. Theresa Bernardo, Dr. Marcelo Gottschalk, Dr. Nahuel Fittipaldi, Dr. Khurram Nadeem, Dr. Amy Greer
Kaitlyn Rodriguez, Lauren Fletcher, Jeremy Wong, Leann Denich, Maverick Aradanas, Sarah Hill, Kaushalya Kuruppu Arachchillage, Zenhwa Ouyang, Elissa Giang, Dr. Claudia Cobo, Dr. Renan Paiano, Dr. Russell Fraser, Dr. Rafiq Ahad
University of PEI, University of Sao Paulo, ACER Consulting, Public Health Ontario, Ontario Pork, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
