Did antimicrobial use really decline on Swiss pig farms?
In Switzerland, active ingredient use per pig declined from 2018 to 2021 while indicators based on treatment days or treatment incidence increased.
In Switzerland, active ingredient use per pig declined from 2018 to 2021 while indicators based on treatment days or treatment incidence increased.
Problem: Antimicrobial-use trends depend strongly on the indicator selected, so a decline in kilograms administered does not necessarily mean fewer treatment days.
Methods: The authors analyzed Switzerland's electronic treatment journal from 2018–2021 using active-ingredient amount, treatment days per farm, and two treatment-incidence measures across five age and production categories.
1. Program participation increased from 1,213 farms in 2018 to 3,539 in 2021, representing about 60% of Swiss pig farms and more than 80% of Swiss finishing pigs in 2021.
2. In 2021, active-ingredient consumption per pig was significantly lower than in 2018, while indicators based on treatment days or incidence were significantly higher.
3. Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials declined from 5.2% of overall use in 2018 to 3.1% in 2021, illustrating why multiple indicators need to be considered together when interpreting antimicrobial-use trends.
Original publication
Wissmann R, Kümmerlen D, Echtermann T. Trends in Antimicrobial Usage on Swiss Pig Farms from 2018 to 2021: Based on an Electronic Treatment Journal. Antibiotics. 2024;13:831.