Animal Production With Restrictive Use of Antibiotics to Contain Antimicrobial Resistance in Sweden—A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Antibacterial resistance (ABR), is a growing global threat to human and animal health. Efforts to contain ABR are urgently needed. This qualitative interview study explored perceptions of work to contain ABR among stakeholders in food animal production in Sweden, with focus on broiler production. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a strategic sample of 13 stakeholders in different parts of production, from professionals at policy level, veterinary authorities, to poultry farmers and poultry veterinarians. Conventional inductive content analysis was used for data analysis. A latent theme, “Working in unison,” emerged, based on the consistency expressed by the informants when they discussed ABR, use of antibiotics, and animal health management. This theme was built on four domains representing the content of the interviews: Knowledge and engagement; Cooperation; Animal health concept; and Development in balance with economic prerequisites. According to the informants, ABR has not been an isolated issue in Sweden but has been included in a tradition of animal health and welfare, and actions have been driven by the industry or by government regulations. Veterinarians described how they worked closely with farmers. Farmers felt involved in the development of animal health management methods. The One Health concept was well-known among stakeholders at national level but not at farm level. Close cooperation between stakeholders seems to facilitate development of animal production with low use of antibiotics.

Antibiotic Resistance in Campylobacter spp. Isolated from Broiler Chicken Meat and Human Patients in Estonia

“…The situation in Swedish broiler production is very good since the use of antibiotics is infrequent [ 34 ]. Consequently, the prevalence of resistant bacteria isolated from animals in Sweden is low [ 35 , 36 ].…”

Overview and Evaluation of Existing Guidelines for Rational Antimicrobial Use in Small-Animal Veterinary Practice in Europe

“…Encouraging rational AMU is a fundamental principle of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). In veterinary practice, a range of approaches have been adopted across Europe including the imposition of regulations restricting the use of specific antimicrobials and the promotion of voluntary antimicrobial stewardship guidelines (ASGs) at the national and clinical levels [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Restrictive policies limiting the use of particular antimicrobials in food-producing animals are already in place in several European countries and will come into force across the European Union in January 2022 [22].…”

Exploring the One Health Perspective in Sweden’s Policies for Containing Antibiotic Resistance

“…Evaluating the effect of the policies is not the scope of this paper, but data show that Sweden has low and decreasing consumption of antibiotics for both human and veterinary use in an international comparison [18][19][20]26]. Qualitative studies conducted as part of the ABR CARRO project by our research team have shown that actors both in the human, veterinary, and environmental sectors perceive the Swedish work on AMR to be well known and established among most stakeholders in the various sectors [35][36][37]. Most stakeholders feel that a lot has been achieved in Sweden regarding antibiotic resistance containment but that there is still room for increasing awareness and emphasising changes in behaviour and attitudes among prescribers and the public.…”

“…Most stakeholders feel that a lot has been achieved in Sweden regarding antibiotic resistance containment but that there is still room for increasing awareness and emphasising changes in behaviour and attitudes among prescribers and the public. With regards to the term "One Health" itself, knowledge among stakeholders was relatively low [35][36][37].…”