Irina Donnik: strains resistant to antibiotics not used in livestock have been identified on Russian farms

Russian scientists in the course of studying the populations of various types of microorganisms on the country's livestock farms revealed their high resistance to antimicrobial drugs, including those that were not used at all at enterprises either in feeding or in treating animals.

This was announced by the Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Irina Donnik at the conference "Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem in the cultivation of farm animals." The conference was organized by the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture as part of the Agros 2022 International Exhibition of Animal Husbandry, Breeding and Feed Production.

The study was conducted in 2020–2021 on Russian livestock farms. A total of 544 isolates were studied.

“The conclusion is appalling. Almost all examined microbiocenoses had resistant strains to antibiotics. Especially many resistant strains are detected among enterobacteria. Their isolates turned out to be resistant to at least one antibacterial drug in 87% of cases,” said Irina Donnik.

Scientists believe that the identification during the study of strains that are resistant to drugs that are not used in animal husbandry may indicate that they were brought into production by people themselves.

Back in 2019, RUSSIA adopted a Strategy to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance. A number of regions have prepared action plans in this direction. The Russian Academy of Sciences proposes to make such plans mandatory for each region.

“Based on a wide screening, it is necessary to conduct a survey of livestock facilities, draw up a table of resistant strains and, on the basis of it, select drugs for the treatment of animals,” the Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences noted.

According to her, the economic efficiency of such actions is obvious. The company reduces the cost of purchasing those antibiotics to which there is a high resistance on the farm. “Our analysis showed that in almost 99% of cases, conventional methods of treatment are used on farms - drugs to which there is already high resistance,” added Irina Donnik.

Vasilina Gritsyuk, Deputy DIRECTOR of the All-Russian State Center for the Quality and Standardization of Medicines for Animals and Feed (FGBU VGNKI) agrees with her opinion. “Antibiotics need to be used wisely. First you need to understand whether this or that drug will work, and not prescribe it immediately based on the fact that the farm has always bought it, ”she commented.