Antimicrobial medicines are valuable tools and are essential for the continuing health and welfare of food-producing animals. In addition, they also make a significant contribution to productive and efficient livestock farming.

The animal health industry continues to offer the veterinary profession and the livestock industry a wide range of antimicrobial products with which to treat infectious bacterial diseases. These products contribute to animal health and welfare by preventing or alleviating pain and discomfort.

The nature of antimicrobial medicines is that antimicrobial resistance may occur, and so reduce the efficiency of the product. This underlines the necessity to use antimicrobial products responsibly when treating sick animals.

The administration of antimicrobials should be complementary to good farm-management practice and properly designed vaccination programmes. Many disease conditions can be avoided or minimised

• By using management practices that significantly reduce exposure to disease-causing bacteria
• By optimising the environment for the animal, including good hygiene, nutrition and vaccination programmes.

Further information:
EPRUMA booklet PDF download: “Best-practice framework for the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals”