Antibiotics use versus profitability on sow farms in the Netherlands.

In 2009, the Dutch government provided policy objectives (i.e., targets) for a reduction in veterinary antibiotics use of -20 % in 2011, -50 % in 2013 and -70 % in 2015 relative to the use in 2009.

Comparing antimicrobial exposure based on sales data.

This paper explores the possibilities of making meaningful comparisons of the veterinary use of antimicrobial agents among countries, based on national total sales data. Veterinary antimicrobial sales data on country level and animal census data in both Denmark and the Netherlands were combined with information about estimated average dosages, to make model calculations of the average number of treatment days per average animal per year, at first based on the assumption that the treatment incidence is the same in all species and production types. Secondly, the exposure in respectively animals for meat production and dairy and other cattle (excluding veal and young beef) was estimated, assuming zero use in the dairy and other cattle, and thirdly by assuming respectively 100% oral and 100% parenteral administration.