The continued use of antibiotic is gradually becoming a significant public health issue, especially their application and usage in agriculture. Antibiotics have taken a central place and played a vital role in the health of the public and saved many people’s lives. However, it is the non-therapeutic application within the agriculture sector that is gradually becoming a public health concern. Misuse and overuse of antibiotics have contributed significantly to the resistance of most antibiotics. For example, some types of bacteria have resulted in severe diseases in people have grown and increased their resistance level beyond treatment with minimal scientific resolutions. It is no doubt that ineffective antibiotic is a grave threat to human health, especially with the risk of deadly infections and outbreaks. It is essential to come up with strategic measures and practices of conserving antibiotic against their usage in agriculture to stem and control the practice.
Threat
Increased usage of antibiotics in animals is a serious threat to both human and animals. Overuse or misuse of antibiotics is the direct cause of an increase in the resistance of bacteria. According to Yong and Multitudes (2016) i f and when ingested by humans, they may cause severe infections and diseases. Yong and Multitudes (2016) maintained that c ontinued use of antibiotics in animals such as pigs, cows, and poultry is often aimed at stopping or killing dangerous bacteria. At the same time, a low antibiotic dose is usually given to animals to promote quickened growth, meaning improved milk and meat production. According to Yong and Multitudes (2016) over the years, antibiotics have become ineffective in humans due to the resistance developed.
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Healthy Animals will Promote Good Usage of Antibiotics
Animals do not need antibiotics to be in good health. Healthy animals require minimal antibiotics. Thus, the hygiene of animals’ needs to be very high and their welfare looked into at all times. According to Yong and Multitudes (2016) , animals are susceptible to diseases when overwhelmed or stressed out. Stress is directly related to the production of hormones that include cortisol that can reduce an animal’s immunity. By keeping animals healthy, and in right conditions, they will rarely succumb to diseases, thus reducing the usage of antibiotic.
Safe Treatment
It is essential to use vaccines for the prevention of opportunistic infections and diseases to reduce and eliminate animal’s vulnerability to illnesses in addition to the reduction of antibiotic levels in an animal’s body. According to Barlam et al., (2016) vaccination helps in preventing the eruption and outbreak of chronic diseases that may require the use of antibiotics within the animal farm. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2016) it is essential to vaccinate and wean separately to reduce the stress levels on a calf. If not strictly adhered to, the stress levels may impact on the calf negatively posing a threat to its life and well-being. In such a case, a farmer may be forced to use antibiotics, a situation that could have been avoided. Effective and timely vaccination exercises are critical towards keeping animals healthy and reducing overreliance on antibiotics if and when an animal falls sick or is unwell. Public health researchers, veterinarians, and farmers must also acknowledge that meat and milk producing animals must be put and handled in ways that focus on promoting their health and in which antibiotics may only be used for the compensation of insufficient husbandry. At the same time, consumers must also be informed and strictly purchase animal products that adhere to laid down regulation on antibiotic use and application ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016) . New rules and regulations should be enacted to guide public researchers and veterinarians towards this cause and in promoting healthy animal and human practices.
Injured and sick animals need to receive treatment as soon as possible to reduce distress and pain. It must, at the same time, entail veterinary medication. During such treatment, herbal, homeopathic in addition to non-antibiotic options should be applied ( Barlam et al., 2016) . In case alternative medicine is not available or adequate, an antibiotic can be given but under strict administration ( Aslam et al., 2018) . Meat production animals given antibiotics must not be killed for sale or consumption or even used in the production of milk. These measures and practices are critical towards recognizing the dangers of using antibiotics in animals and especially meat or milk producing animals. With increased global consumption of meat, if left uncontrolled, antibiotic usage may rise from the current 181000 tonnes to over 300,000 by the year 2030 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Such an increase is a severe threat to meat producing animals in addition to the well-being of humans and the effectiveness of antibiotics.
Effective Regulation
Effective regulation by relevant authorities in the past decade has proved very effective towards reducing the usage of antibiotics in meat producing animals within the agriculture sector. Increased collection of antibiotic usage information and animal health is very critical towards regulating the usage of antibiotics, especially in meat producing animals ( Aslam et al., 2018) . Countries such as Italy, Spain, and Cyprus have seen a remarkable reduction in the use of antibiotics in animals. The countries, as mentioned above, have maintained low-level usage of antibiotics by way of combining strategic livestock practices and regulatory measures.
The European Union, on the other hand, has banned the use of antibiotics within agricultural fields and outside medicinal purposes. According to Aslam et al., (2018) the practice among farmers has realized effective outcomes with reduced dependence on antibiotics in animals. Countries such as the UK, France, and Germany have seen a remarkable decline in the use of antibiotics. At the same time, the UK is planning to set cautionary measures that will see reduced consumption of meat to lower dependence on meat by the public ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016) . The standard and practice will help in inculcating suitable farming measures to increase meat consumption. According to the World Food Program, setting a realistic and stringent limit on meat consumption is bound to reduce antibiotic usage by over 22 percent.
Recommendations
Thus, one of the most effective strategies to reducing overuse and misuse of antibiotics in meat producing animals is to create awareness on consumers to avoid meat and animals products that have a strict adherence to no antibiotic use in animals. Reduced meat consumption will see a significant reduction in antibiotic usage. The measure should also be backed up by relevant legislation. The laws should be strict, and farmers and researchers should be enlightened on strict adherence on the same.
References
Aslam, B., Wang, W., Arshad, M. I., Khurshid, M., Muzammil, S., Rasool, M. H., ... & Salamat, M. K. F. (2018). Antibiotic resistance: a rundown of a global crisis. Infection and drug resistance , 11 , 1645.
Barlam, T. F., Cosgrove, S. E., Abbo, L. M., MacDougall, C., Schuetz, A. N., Septimus, E. J., ... & Hamilton, C. W. (2016). Implementing an antibiotic stewardship program: guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases , 62 (10), e51-e77. https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/62/10/e51/2462846
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Newly reported gene, mcr-1, threatens last-resort antibiotics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6188119/
Yong, E., & Multitudes, I. C. (2016). The Microbes within Us and a Grander View of Life.
