UK: Lowest ever sales of livestock veterinary antibiotics recorded

Sales of antibiotics for use in livestock have reduced by 55% since 2014 to the lowest ever recorded level, the government’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) confirmed. In 2021 sales decreased 6% compared to 2020.

In pigs antibiotic use in the UK have decreased 69% since 2015.

The latest UK-Veterinary Antibiotic Resistance and Sales Surveillance (UK-VARSS) annual report shows how the UK's antibiotic stewardship in livestock, with reductions in farm-level antibiotic use reported by the pig, chicken, duck and trout sectors.

Sales of Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics, or HP-CIAs have declined for a seventh consecutive year, with a 83% reduction since 2014 and now accounting for just 0.4% of the total antibiotic sales. In 2021 sales decreased 18% with respect to 2020.

In pigs sales of HP-CIAs in the UK have decreased 97% since 2015.

The UK remains one of the lowest users of antimicrobials in livestock in Europe and has achieved one of the biggest reductions in resistance.