USDA to launch study on antimicrobial use on swine operations

In particular, the study will examine antimicrobial use and stewardship practices on swine nursery and grower-finisher facilities with a capacity of at least 1,000 head.

The USDA Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan, released in 2015, recommended that USDA agencies perform enhanced monitoring of antimicrobial use in food-producing animals. In addition, beginning on January 1, 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initiated policy changes regarding the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals.

These changes include:

• Eliminating the use of medically important antimicrobials for growth promotion purposes in foodproducing animals, and
• Requiring veterinary oversight for use of medically important antimicrobials in animal feed or water.

The NAHMS Antimicrobial Use on U.S. Swine Operations, 2017 study will gather information on antimicrobial-use practices in 2016, before implementation of FDA policy changes. Specific objectives of the study follow:

• Describe antimicrobial-use practices in feed and water on production sites with a capacity of at least 1,000 weaned market pigs.
• Estimate the percentage of production sites using and the percentage of weaned market pigs receiving specific antimicrobials in feed and/or water by reasons for use.
• Provide baseline data on antimicrobial-use practices in place before implementation of FDA policy changes. This baseline can be used for evaluating trends over time.
• Describe antimicrobial stewardship practices on production sites with weaned market pigs.