Antibiotic Usage In MyGAP Poultry Farms In Malaysia

Rachel, W.J.F., Marni, S., Zurina, R., Ani, Y. & Rozanah Asmah A.S.

Antimicrobials are extensively used in livestock farms incorporated in animal feed and water. A major concern is the rise of antimicrobial resistance and the subsequent impact on human health. There is a knowledge gap in the usage of antimicrobial used in poultry farms in Malaysia. This study aimed to identify the antibiotics most frequently used and usage patterns. A survey was conducted on antibiotic usage of 278 Malaysian Good Agriculture Practices (myGAP) poultry farms from the year 2015 to 2017. The results showed that antibiotics were used for disease prevention (100%), therapy (25%) and growth purposes (0.4%). The mode of administration of the antibiotics was mainly through the water. 36 antimicrobials belonging to 13 classes were used. Enrofloxacin was most commonly found (86%), followed by amoxicillin (62%), tylosin (29%), colistin (26%), tilmicosin (26%) and fosfomycin (21%). It is anticipated that the findings of this survey will help to develop new strategies for prudent use of antibiotics in livestock farms. Hence, a comprehensive national feed monitoring programme should be established to get information of antimicrobial usage quantitatively.