Knowledge, attitude and practice towards antibiotic use and resistance among the veterinarians in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is growing public health concern around the world. When a number of studies have emphasized the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) regarding antibiotic use and resistance in humans, little attention has been paid to the veterinary sector. The aim of this study was to understand the KAP towards antibiotic use and resistance among the veterinarians in Bangladesh. Methods A cross-sectional online based questionnaire survey was conducted from August to September 2020 among the registered veterinary practitioners. A self-administered Google form questionnaire consists of 46 questions on knowledge, attitude and practice regarding antibiotic use and their resistance. Results A total of 208 registered veterinarians participated in this study. 85.1% of the participants were male and 55% of the participants had a Masters degree. Around 50% of the veterinarians were poultry practitioners. All respondents were familiar with antimicrobials. 91.35% of the participants knew that antibiotics can not cure viral infections while 97.6% believed that frequent antibiotic prescription rendered them less effective. Participants claimed that only they are eligible to prescribe drugs for the treatment of animals. Of the total participants, 87.02% believed that a local antimicrobial guideline would be more effective than an international one while around 80% disagreed with adding antibiotics with feed/water as a growth promoter in livestock. However, gaps in practices were highlighted, suggesting training deficiencies. Conclusion The study for the first time conducted in Bangladesh dictates the future interventions like courses, workshops, and seminars on antibiotic usage and resistance are needed to ameliorate the awareness and change the behavior of veterinarians with regards to the rational use of antibiotics while also considering individual motivations and justifications for using antibiotics.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices on antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance among poultry practitioner veterinarians

“…Numerous studies conducted in various countries have consistently shown that veterinarians have good KAP related to AMU and AMR, which agreed with the previous study ( 23 – 26 ). Specifically, 86.5% mentioned that they did not use antimicrobials as growth promoters, which was comparable to the finding of Bangladesh (80.0%) ( 18 ). Approximately 89.0% of the veterinarians agreed that vaccination could reduce the use of antimicrobials in poultry, and 75.6% believed that using narrow-spectrum antimicrobials are a better choice than broad-spectrum, which is similar with a study conducted in Bhutan ( 27 ).…”

“…Only 15.0% of veterinarians were female, which was lower than the overall ratio of female veterinarians among registered veterinarians (22.9%) in Nepal ( 14 ). However, a previous study in Bangladesh also reported a similar proportion (14.9%) of female veterinarian engaged in practice ( 18 ). This gender distribution discrepancy may be due to the employment of female veterinarians in administrative and academic roles rather than in poultry practices.…”

Situational Analysis and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Antimicrobial Use and Resistance among Broiler Poultry Farmers in Nepal

“…Regarding specific observations, this study noted that the average mortality rate among broiler poultry flocks was 9.3 ± 15.5%, slightly lower than in previous studies [21]. Additionally, this study found that the average income per 100 birds was USD 43.8 ± 22.6, with a range from USD 0 to 105.7.…”

“…This difference could be due to older farmers being more self-reliant and having greater exposure to training and work experience than their younger counterparts. A previous study on KAP in Bangladesh also highlighted the influence of farmers' age and experience on AMU and AMR in poultry production [21]. Approximately 9.2% of farmers reported not using antimicrobials throughout the entire broiler production cycle, while 90.8% used antimicrobials at least once during the production cycle, indicating the continued prevalence of AMU in broiler production.…”

“…In comparison, only 33.4% and 10.3% of farmers purchased antimicrobials through prescriptions from veterinarians and para-veterinarians, respectively. There may be instances where farmers voluntarily choose to use antimicrobials, either willingly or influenced by recommendations from drug sellers [21,40]. Additionally, limited access to veterinary services could contribute to farmers seeking advice and medication from non-experts.…”