Reacción a "Reactions: sales of antibiotics for animal use have fallen by almost 50 % in the last ten years"

Since the implementation of the National Plan against Antibiotic Resistance (PRAN), an awareness campaign on the prudent use of antibiotics has been carried out. From the animal health sector, different programmes have been launched to reduce the consumption of antibiotics in different animal species, especially those intended for human consumption.

From the production sector, professionals such as veterinarians and livestock farmers have made a great effort to prevent the entry of diseases and their transmission within farms by improving biosecurity, hygiene and management, always maintaining animal welfare.

Alternatives to antibiotics have also been sought, such as natural additives, probiotics, etc., which, when added to diets, have an impact on a good balance of beneficial bacteria residing in the intestine, hindering the entry of pathogens and maintaining good intestinal health. And, very importantly, the use of drug mixtures has been discontinued and there is an increasing trend towards individualised or group treatments.

Unfortunately, in livestock farming we are far from having efficient vaccines for a large number of pathogens, and despite taking preventive measures, when animals get sick, antibiotic treatment is essential, always starting with antibiotics that have little impact on human medicine to reduce the emergence of resistant bacteria of critical importance to human health.