UK veterinary sales of antibiotics fall to new low
This represents a 2% decrease since 2023 and a 57% decline since 2014, meaning the UK remains one of the lowest prescribers of veterinary antibiotics in Europe.
Importantly, sales of highest priority critically important antibiotics (HP-CIAs) in food-producing animals remained at very low levels at 0.06 mg/kg, accounting for 0.4 % of total sales.
The latest VARSS report uses a new metric for antibiotic sales and use in food producing animals to ‘better represent UK animal populations and allow the UK data to be compared with data across Europe’. While the mg/kg figures are different, the trends remain the same.
The report shows pig sector usage increased slightly to 50mg/kg in 2024, but this still represented a 69% decline on 2015 levels. Use of HP-CIAs in the pig sector also inched up slightly but remained at negligible levels, just 0.005mg/kg, 99% down on 2015 levels.
NPA chief policy adviser Katie Jarvis said: "It is positive to see that the UK is a leading nation in the fight against AMR.
"Usage in the pig sector has increased this year due to a rise in some pig diseases, the removal of zinc oxide and problems with the availability of vaccines. However, the trend remains positive with a continuous decline in usage of 69% since 2015.
"Antibiotic usage will fluctuate as the sector continues to use as little as possible but as much as necessary and we do now anticipate that some years will present more of a challenge. The pig sector remains committed to a continued reduction in antibiotic use".
Reduced AMR
The VARSS report also showed the UK livestock sector has achieved some of the biggest reductions in AMR across Europe in the last decade. Recent data published earlier this year from the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA) and VMD reveals a strong link between reduced antibiotic use and reduced antimicrobial resistance in animals.
This year’s report presents a decade of clinical surveillance data, and in most animal species, there are clear declines in resistance, reflecting the sustained efforts to reduce antibiotic use across the farming sector and keep antibiotics working, the report said. It said the data mirrored the overall reduction in AMR carried by healthy animals at slaughter.
Abi Seager, Veterinary Medicines Directorate CEO said: "This year’s report shows that through the ongoing hard work of vets and farmers across the UK we can make real progress in the fight against AMR.
"Overall use of antibiotics in livestock remains at its lowest level and importantly use of the most critical antibiotics for human health remains extremely low. This is reflected in results from our AMR surveillance programmes, which show an encouraging picture of AMR reducing in animals".
Baroness Hayman, Minister for Biosecurity, Borders and Animal Welfare, said: "Through combined efforts across Government and industry we continue to make progress in reducing the use of antibiotic in animals, which is vital for public and animal health".
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