Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Veterinarians Towards Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship in Nigeria

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern and the inappropriate use of antibiotics in animals and humans is considered a contributing factor. A cross-sectional survey to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of veterinarians regarding AMR and antimicrobial stewardship was conducted in Nigeria. A total of 241 respondents completed an online survey. Only 21% of respondents correctly defined the term antimicrobial stewardship and 59.8% were unaware of the guidelines provided by the Nigeria AMR National Action Plan. Over half (51%) of the respondents indicated that prophylactic antibiotic use was appropriate when farm biosecurity was poor. Only 20% of the respondents conducted antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) frequently, and the unavailability of veterinary laboratory services (82%) and the owner’s inability to pay (72%) were reported as key barriers to conducting AST. The study findings suggest strategies focusing on the following areas may be useful in improving appropriate antibiotic use and antimicrobial stewardship among veterinarians in Nigeria: increased awareness of responsible antimicrobial use among practicing and newly graduated veterinarians, increased dissemination of regularly updated antibiotic use guidelines, increased understanding of the role of good biosecurity and vaccination practices in disease prevention, and increased provision of laboratory services and AST at affordable costs.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice on antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance among the veterinarians and para-veterinarians in Bhutan

“…Although, most of the respondents (96%) in this study believed antibiotic resistance as a serious global problem, the fact that only 59% believed it as a national problem could be linked to lack of awareness as only about 37% of them read the national plan on AMR. This is in contrast to findings from Nigeria where more than 90% of the respondents believed AMR as a national problem [13].…”

“…This perception towards antibiotic use can prevent unnecessary prescription of antibiotics to prevent resistance. This is much higher compared to studies in Nigeria (29%) [13] and Iran (35%) [21]. The difference could be due to difference in the study population.…”

“…The choice of antibiotics in our study was determined by the availability of it in the center in contrast to other studies where in the choice of antibiotics was dependent on clients ‘affordability [ 13 ]. In Bhutan, all types of veterinary services including antibiotics and all other medicines are provided free of cost and are regulated by the government agencies.…”

“…For instance, a study among Dutch veterinarians revealed that veterinarians with positive attitude and favourable knowledge on AMR had positive impact on antimicrobial use (AMU) and positive influence among farmers [ 12 ]. Similarly, a study in Nigeria showed that there was little awareness on AMR among veterinarians and the role and use of biosecurity and prophylactic antibiotic use in the prevention of infection was poorly understood [ 13 ]. A study on KAP associated with AMR and AMU among veterinary students in Nigerian University and among university students on antibiotic usage in Nepalese University had revealed unsatisfactory knowledge on AMR and AMU among students.…”

Exploring Farmers’ Reasons for Antibiotic Use and Misuse in Pig Farms in Brazil

“…However, as shown in our accompanying study [ 22 ], farmers were not motivated to introduce practices aimed at improving welfare. The prophylactic use of antibiotics is still widely present in the pig production chain in several countries [ 33 , 39 ], even with several studies showing that good husbandry practices and biosecurity allow reduced use of antibiotics [ 40 , 41 ]. For example, in a comparative study among herds in European countries (Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden), late weaning and investing in efficient external biosecurity measures helped farmers reduce the use of antibiotics [ 42 ].…”