Post by: Ray Castle
COVID-19 has dominated the news for the last year, but amid the global human health pandemic, one critical area of animal health remains a major focus for farmers and consumers world-wide – preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics, and preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Quite apart from the direct human health implications of AMR, it also has potential to impact animal wellness, the sustainability of our food production systems, and consumer trust.
As a company dedicated to the health and welfare of animals, Elanco Animal Health believes healthy animals are key to solving some of the world's most pressing issues. To address the emergence of antibiotic resistance leading to compromised treatment outcomes in humans, and animals, Elanco instituted a multi-faceted approach to help protect the long-term viability of antibiotics.
In New Zealand and Australia, Elanco is supporting our customers in their efforts to prevent antimicrobial resistance and to use antibiotics responsibly - through a simple, unique laboratory test which provides veterinarians and farmers with information regarding the presence of antibiotic resistance in dairy herds.
Veterinarians want to make sure they’re providing the right advice on mastitis prevention and management and – where necessary - using the right antibiotics in the most responsible and effective way possible. The Dairy Antibiogram (DAB) provides information for farmers and veterinarians to identify resistance, determine the most effective treatments of mastitis for their herds, monitor changes over time, and to develop preventative biosecurity plans.
Antibiotics are an important tool in keeping our dairy herds healthy, but we need to ensure they’re not overused and that they continue to be effective. Together with antimicrobial prescribing guidelines, whole-herd animal health management plans to avoid the use of antibiotics where possible, and Dairy Antibiogram (DAB) testing, Australian and New Zealand dairy industries are ensuring the best animal care while preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics for generations to come.
PM-NZ-21-0123
