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The quantity of antibiotics dispensed for use in veterinary medicine in Germany has again decreased in 2019. Compared to the previous year, it fell to 670 metric tons (-7.2%) thus reaching the lowest level since the first recording in 2011 with 1,706 metric tons. This corresponds to a decline of 60.7% during this period. This was reported by the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), which evaluated the data. It is particularly encouraging that the quantities of fluoroquinolones and 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins, which are particularly important for human treatment, fell to their lowest level since 2011.
Compared with the previous year, the quantity of fluoroquinolones dispensed fell by approx. 1.7 tonnes (t), and that of 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins by 0.5 t. It can be assumed that the changes in the Veterinary Medicine Ordinance (TÄHAV) are partly responsible for this. Since March 1, 2018, the TÄHAV has stipulated that a sensitivity test for bacteria must be carried out according to standardized procedures when using 3rd and 4th generation fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins. This test allows a conclusion to be made as to whether the intended antibiotic can be effective at all.
A total of 670 t of antibiotics were supplied to veterinarians in Germany by pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers last year. As in previous years, the main quantities supplied were penicillins (about 264 t) and tetracyclines (about 140 t), followed by polypeptide antibiotics (colistin) (66 t) and sulfonamides (59 t) as well as macrolides (57 t). All classes of antibiotics classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as special importance for human medicine (Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials) were reduced compared to the previous year (3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins: -0.5 t; fluoroquinols: -1.7 t, macrolides: -2 t; polypeptide antibiotics: -8 t).
The reported quantities of active substances cannot be assigned to individual animal species, as the majority of the active substances are approved for use in different animal species.
From 2011 to 2019, the quantity of antibiotics dispensed decreased in almost all regions.
July 29, 2020/ BVL/ Germany.
https://www.bvl.bund.de
