The Relationship between Animal Welfare and Antimicrobial Use in Italian Dairy Farms

Abstract

Information regarding the relationship between animal welfare (AW) and antimicrobial use (AMU) in dairy cows is limited. The current study aimed to investigate this relationship on Italian farms and to identify potential targets of AMU reduction. The study was performed at 79 Italian dairy farms housing over 15,000 cows during 2019. AW was scored with an on-farm protocol assessing farm management and staff training, housing systems, and animal-based measures. AMU was estimated using a defined daily dose per kg of animal biomass (DDDAit/biomass) for Italy. The median AW score was 73% (range: 56.6–86.8%). The median AMU was 4.8 DDDAit/biomass (range: 0–11.8). No relationship between the total AMU and AW was found. Management and staff training were positively associated with the use of the European Medicines Agency’s category B antimicrobials, which are critical for human medicine, and with intramammary products for dry cow therapy. In those farms, antimicrobial stewardship should aim to reduce the category B antimicrobials and selective dry cow therapy. Our results underline the importance of implementing both an integrated monitoring system (AW, AMU, etc.) and antimicrobial stewardship tailored to the specific needs of each dairy farm.

Antibiotic Use in Alpine Dairy Farms and Its Relation to Biosecurity and Animal Welfare

“…Our results support this evidence, as we traced a positive correlation between milk production and AMU. In line with what is reported in the literature for dairy cattle [ 27 , 30 , 32 , 34 ], we found that intramammary medication is the most frequent administration route (53.11%). Previous studies observed a frequency reaching 63% [ 32 ] and 78% [ 34 ].…”

“…Considering a three-year timeframe can overcome outlier peak values due to exceptional circumstances and evidenced a significant decreasing trend. A previous Italian study [ 30 ] assessed AMU in dairy cattle farms using DDDAit in 2019 in north-western Italy (Lombardy region). These authors observed a similar AMU compared to the present study (4.8 DDDAit per cow/year).…”

“…The final score ranges from 0% to 100%, where 100% is the highest level of biosecurity. Animal welfare was evaluated using Classyfarm protocol, as previously described in Ginestreti et al [ 27 ] and Mazza et al [ 30 ]. The score includes 70 items, 18 of which are animal-based measures (details available in Bertocchi et al [ 48 ]).…”

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Kynurenine Pathway, and Lipid-Profiling Alterations as Potential Animal Welfare Indicators in Dairy Cattle

“…The protocols were developed by the Italian National Reference Centre for Animal Welfare (CReNBA), Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna (IZSLER). They are currently posted on the ClassyFarm platform of the Italian Ministry of Health for monitoring and benchmarking animal welfare on farms [ 25 , 26 ].…”

“…The welfare assessment protocol for tie-stall farms lists 58 indicators, while the protocol for free-stall farms lists 70 indicators. The indicators are grouped by section: Section A—farm management and staff training, Section B—housing and equipment, and Section C—animal-based measures (ABMs) [ 25 ]. Each indicator has two or three well-defined risk levels: level 1 indicates a high risk or poor status of the indicator, level 2 indicates a medium risk, and level 3 indicates a low risk or better status of the indicator [ 27 , 28 ].…”