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The Veterinary Medecine Directorate has published a report on the sales of antimicrobial products authorised for use as veterinary medicines, antiprotozoals, antifungals and coccidiostats in the UK.
The main points and changes presented in this year’s report are:
• Report for the first time sales of veterinary antimicrobial products in the UK from 2010.
• There is a net 45 tonne increase in sales of veterinary antibiotics, most of which is accounted for by a small increase in sales of most classes of antibiotics.
• There is an increase in sales of products for food-producing animals of 41 tonnes.
• In 2010 383 Kg more fluoroquinolones were sold than in 2009. For cephalosporins, there was a decrease of 57 Kg.
• During 2006, 2007 and 2008, approximately 0.06 kg of antibiotics were used for every tonne of animals slaughtered for food. There were small increases in 2009 of 0.006 kg and in 2010 of 0.004 kg, giving an average of 0.07 kg antibiotic per tonne of animals slaughtered for these two
years.
• No data on antimicrobial products imported under the SIC/STC systems have been included in this report as routine validation of the database of applications identified duplicate applications and other errors, which would lead to over-reporting of data. The VMD is continuing to address
this issue.
• No sales of antimicrobial growth promoters are reported as their use and sale were banned from 1 January 2006.
Total Sales
During 2006 total sales of antibiotics decreased by 41 tonnes to 405 tonnes, fell by 18 tonnes in 2007 to 387 tonnes and again fell in 2008 to 384 tonnes. In 2009 total sales increased by 18 tonnes to 402 tonnes. In 2010 total sales increased by 45 tonnes to 447. The sales of veterinary antiprotozoals in 2010 were 15 tonnes, an increase of 12 tonnes since 2009. Sales of these products are exclusively for foodproducing animals. The sales of veterinary antifungals were 11 tonnes in 2010; an increase of 3 tonnes on the previous year. Sales of coccidiostats in 2010 were 240 tonnes, an increase of 6 tonnes from 2009. Sales of coccidiostats have not been at this level since 2003. Coccidiostats are used in food-producing animals only, particularly poultry
reared on deep litter systems. There were no sales of veterinary antimicrobial growth promoters in 2010 following the EU ban from 1 January 2006.
Food-Producing Animals
In 2010 sales of antibiotic products for use in food-producing animals accounted for approximately 87% (390 tonnes) of the total annual sales of 447 tonnes which was comparable with previous years. However it is not possible to identify the proportion of the 390 tonnes which was administered to animals that did not enter the food chain.
Overall the sales of veterinary antibiotic products for use in food-producing animals showed an increase in 2010, from the 2009 sales. There was an increase in sales of veterinary antibiotic in 2010 for some of the individual foodproducing species e.g. pig and poultry only products increased by 47 tonnes and poultry only products increased by 13 tonnes in 2010 compared to 2009. Sales of cattle only products remained similar at 11 tonnes, whilst sales of pig only products fell by 15 tonnes. Sales of multi-species products (excluding pig and poultry only) also decreased by 2 tonnes. Between 44% and 54% of the total sales of veterinary antibiotics were
accounted for by tetracyclines in each year from 2005 to 2010. In each of the reporting years between 1 and 2 tonnes of fluoroquinolones were sold (less than 1% of the total). Between 61% and 71% of veterinary antibiotic products for food-producing animals only were sold for use as medicated feedingstuffs, over the reporting period (2005–2001), most of which are sold for use in pig and poultry farming.
November 2011/ VMD-DEFRA/ United Kingdom.
http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk
