Overview

Antimicrobial use and resistance

Antimicrobials are used in agriculture to treat, control and prevent disease. However, the global use of antimicrobials in humans and animals has dramatically increased the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates that the total amount of antimicrobials sold for use in food-producing animals is 1.5 times the amount sold for use in humans, on a milligrams per kilogram biomass basisfootnote 1.

While antimicrobial-resistant microbes are a natural occurrence, the use of antimicrobials favours the survival and spread of these resistant types. As a result, antimicrobial-resistant organisms are becoming increasingly common, making more infections in animals and humans difficult or impossible to treat with available drugs.

Slow the rise of antimicrobial resistance through careful antimicrobial use

Producers, in partnership with their veterinarians, can help to slow the rise of antimicrobial resistance by carefully considering when and how antimicrobials are used. As of December 1, 2018, a prescription from a veterinarian is required to purchase medically important antimicrobials for animals, including medicated feeds. While these products used to be available over the counter in livestock medicine outlets, they are now only available from veterinary clinics (including accredited satellite locations) or pharmacies.

Other actions to combat antimicrobial resistance

Ontario contributed to the development of the Pan-Canadian Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2023–2027), which serves as a blueprint to coordinate mitigation and response activities across the country through priority actions under 5 pillars:

  • surveillance
  • stewardship
  • infection prevention and control
  • research and innovation
  • leadership

Ongoing work to address antimicrobial resistance in Ontario

We are working to address antimicrobial resistance in the following ways.

Surveillance

We:

Stewardship

We:

  • support development and dissemination of antimicrobial use practice standards and stewardship competencies through projects like the Farmed Animal Antimicrobial Stewardship (FAAST) initiative (from the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association), and SAVI (from the CVMA)
  • support the development of specific continuing education about antimicrobial stewardship (including FAAST) and university curricula, as well as stewardship resources for veterinarians and producers through OAHN, Ontario.ca and publications (such as Virtual Beef)
  • delivered over 60 presentations related to antimicrobial use and resistance to livestock, veterinary and health partners before the federal policy and regulatory changes in 2018

Infection prevention and control

We:

  • support the development and adoption of biosecurity standards to improve the health of herds and flocks and reduce the need for antimicrobials. This includes the funding of cost-share programming for producers under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (Sustainable CAP) and prior federal-provincial funding frameworks
  • work closely with livestock and poultry producer organizations and private veterinarians to promote prudent use of antimicrobials and other medicines in all animal species, as well as promoting alternative management and preventive approaches for maintaining animal health, like vaccination

Research

We:

  • encourage, support and share research and innovation related to antimicrobial resistance and stewardship, in collaboration with the University of Guelph Alliance, New Directions Research, food safety partners, the Sustainable CAP and other opportunities
  • invest in research that drives improvements in surveillance, stewardship and infection prevention and control, including development of antimicrobial alternatives, vaccines and diagnostics (including genomics and bioinformatics) through these same programs

When producers should use antimicrobials

Use antimicrobials:

  • based on the advice of a veterinarian
  • according to the label directions for animal type, route, dose and duration
  • to treat animals with susceptible bacterial infections

Do not use antimicrobials:

  • when they are not indicated or likely to be effective (for example, antimicrobials cannot treat viral infections)
  • out of habit or routine, or without ongoing evaluation of their effectiveness
  • to compensate for management problems or ineffective infection control practices (such as inadequate biosecurity)
  • that are more powerful or are broader-spectrum than what is needed to treat the infection (for example, drugs like fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins that are considered of very high importance in human medicine)

Additional considerations

Challenge yourself, your clients and your veterinarian to find and use alternatives to antimicrobials whenever possible.

Also, focus on other means of preventing disease. Talk to your veterinarian about:

  • biosecurity and infection control
  • vaccination
  • pasture management
  • stocking density
  • ventilation
  • nutrition
  • alternative therapies
  • genetics to improve disease resistance