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As part of Australian Antibiotic Awareness Week, 14-20 November, the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) is promoting responsible use of antibiotics in dairy cows, to prevent the emergence of untreatable diseases.
Australian Cattle Veterinarian’s President, Dr Craig Dwyer, said that vets take their responsibility to minimise the chances of the emergence of resistant superbugs very seriously.
“Antibiotics are a critical tool to have in our arsenal and we want to make sure they stay effective for as long as possible. We also want them to be available when they are needed.
“It’s important for vets and farmers to work together so that the right antibiotic is used for the diagnosis and for the right period of time, to avoid misuse or overuse.
“Prevention is also key and vets have lots of good advice for farmers about how to keep their cows in tip top condition,” Dr Dwyer said.
Fortunately, there are stringent systems in place in Australia to ensure our milk is free from any trace of antibiotics used in cows.
“There are also very strict rules about how antibiotics are used in food animals, including dairy cows,” he said.
The AVA says there are precautions that farmers can take to reduce the spread of resistant bugs by avoiding contact with animals treated with antibiotics as this can lead to antibiotic resistance. Farm workers should also pay attention to hygiene during and after handling treated animals.
Other useful resources from the AVA include:
- Fact sheet on prescribing veterinary antibiotics
- Fact sheet about safe handling of animals being treated with antibiotics – you might like to use this as information for people administering antibiotics in stock feed
- Infection control principles and procedures in the AVA Guidelines for veterinary personal biosecurity.