Measurement of Antimicrobial Usage: What Can We Learn Across Livestock Sectors?

Microbes (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi) can become resistant to clinical or veterinary drugs (antimicrobials) that are used to treat disease. This has major consequences for how microbial diseases are managed and, therefore, how antimicrobial compounds should be used. Measuring antimicrobial usage (AMU) is a way to monitor the amount of medicines/chemicals that enter the food-chain, and the environment and this could help to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Anthelmintics and the Environment – opening a whole can of worms?

A SEFARI Specialist Advisory Group was established in response to concerns from livestock farmers and agro-ecologists about the adverse environmental impacts of some frontline livestock worming treatments, which reach the environment either in the dung/urine of treated animals or as a result of inappropriate disposal. Information on potential environmental impacts is a prerequisite for approval of veterinary medicines in the UK, but that information is not easy to find or understand.

Gillian Mitchell

I am a research assistant, based at the Moredun Research Institute, providing technical support for the ongoing research towards the sustainable control of helminth parasites of livestock, with an emphasis on trematode (flatworm) parasites. I have experience with the application of molecular methods in novel diagnostics and the detection and management of anthelmintic resistance.

Gillian Mitchell

Moredun
Pentland Science Park
Bush Loan
Penicuik
Midlothian
EH26 0PZ

Anthelmintic resistance – can we stay ahead of the game?

Sustainability and food security are two terms that are commonly used in relation to the UK agricultural sector.  In a changing climate, there is a need to reduce the impact of endemic diseases on livestock health, welfare and productivity. The brown stomach worm, Teladorsagia circumcincta, is the most prevalent livestock roundworm parasite in the UK and has a major economic impact on the sheep industry.

Nematodirus battus: Is it likely to spiral out of control?

Farming practices are evolving in response to intensification, diversification and climate change. As farm management has changed, pathogens of livestock have also adapted to optimise their reproduction and transmission opportunities. Our work, supported by Animal and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), has focused on the control and biology of the economically important roundworm Nematodirus battus; a gut roundworm which annually threatens the health and welfare of young lambs across the UK. Our research has explored how Nematodirus behaves on commercial sheep farms.

NSA and Moredun 'iceberg' disease webinars: The problem of subclinical disease lurking beneath the surface

Along with so many other things, Covid-19 scuppered our plans to travel the length and breadth of the UK delivering sheep health road-shows in association with NSA and SRUC.  Nevertheless, we were all keen to ensure that these important messages were still delivered so we agreed to embrace modern technology and try online webinars to inform all those interested on the risks posed by these “iceberg” diseases.

Iain McKendrick

Iain leads BioSS activities in the area of Animal Health and Welfare. As part of this. He manages BioSS consultancy inputs to the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department Research Programme 2: "Profitable and Sustainable Agriculture – Animals", as well as consultancy contracts relating to animal science from other organisations. In recent years our clients have included the Institute for Animal Health, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Deer Commission Scotland and a number of commercial companies.

Iain McKendrick

Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland
JCMB, The King's Buildings,
Peter Guthrie Tait Road,
EDINBURGH, EH9 3FD, Scotland, UK

Madeleine Henry

Research interests:
•My major area of work since joining SRUC has been on verocytotoxigenic E. coli O157, with particular responsibility for field work in this area. Together with colleagues at the ERU and with consortium partners from other institutions, I am currently writing up the results of a prevalence survey of E. coli O157 among British farms that produce cattle intended for the food chain.

Madeleine Henry

SRUC Research, Future Farming Systems
Epidemiology Research Unit
An Lòchran
Inverness Campus
Inverness IV2 5NA