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The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA) launched its revised Pig Guidelines on 18 November, European Antibiotic Awareness Day.
RUMA Secretary General, John FitzGerald, launched the new Pig Guidelines at the Promoting Good Veterinary Antimicrobial Stewardship Conference at Liverpool University. Mr FitzGerald said that the new versions of the Pig Antimicrobial Guidelines stressed the need to manage farms to reduce disease challenge and minimise antibiotic use. They include practical advice for vets and farmers and highlight the Four Golden Rules on Disease Control i.e.
He explained: “First introduced in 2000, these Guidelines are intended as working documents and have been updated periodically to continually provide best advice.
“Now in their 3rd editions, the short version provides quick and easy guiding principles that can be used as a working document by pig farmers, while the longer version is aimed primarily at veterinary surgeons and other advisers, to provide more detail.
“The holistic approach to minimising disease set out by the Four Golden Rules helps reduce the need to use antibiotics without adversely affecting animal welfare. It is important to reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance without reducing the availability of necessary antibiotics,” he explained.
Like all RUMA Guidelines, the new Pig Guidelines are available free of charge on the RUMA website ruma.org.uk.
Monday November 18, 2013/ RUMA/ European Union.
http://ruma.org.uk
