Representatives from the Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products has presented the fifth national report on veterinary surveillance of antibacterial consumption (BelVetSac) to a wide range of animal health stakeholders in Brussels, reports the European Platform for the Responsible Use of Medicines in animals (EPRUMA).

For the second consecutive year, the report indicates a clear reduction in antibiotic use in veterinary medicine in Belgium.

The total use of antibiotics, expressed in tonnes of active substance, fell by 6.6 per cent between 2012 and 2013. In relation to the number of kilogrammes of biomass produced in Belgium, the reduction was 6.3 per cent.

Compared with the reference year 2011, an overall reduction (in terms of mg per kg of biomass produced) of 12.7 per cent was recorded. This reduction was divided between antibacterial medicines (13.3 per cent) and the antibacterial premixes used in medicated feed (10.2 per cent).

The BelVetSac study was conducted by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Ghent University (Veterinary Epidemiology Department) on behalf of the Belgian Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products.

The results of this, the fifth report, are based on data collection of all veterinary antibacterials sold to veterinarians or pharmacists in Belgium, as well as the antibacterial premixes incorporated in medicated feed intended to be used in Belgium for the year 2013.

Further Reading

You can view the full report from BelVetSac by clicking here.