Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Antibiotic Use and Resistance among Poultry Farmers in Nepal
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Published:2023-08-25
Issue:9
Volume:12
Page:1369
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ISSN:2079-6382
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Container-title:Antibiotics
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Antibiotics
Author:
Subedi Deepak12ORCID, Jyoti Sumit23ORCID, Thapa Bhima4, Paudel Sanjay24ORCID, Shrestha Prajjwal25, Sapkota Deepak4, Bhatt Bhuwan Raj6, Adhikari Hari4, Poudel Uddab2ORCID, Gautam Anil2ORCID, Nepal Rojina2, Al-Mustapha Ahmad I.789ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA 2. Paklihawa Campus, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Bhairahawa 32900, Nepal 3. Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Avenue, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada 4. Faculty of Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Fisheries, Agriculture and Forestry University, Bharatpur 44200, Nepal 5. Department of Agriculture, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, AR 71601, USA 6. Faculty of Agriculture, Far Western University, Kailali 10900, Nepal 7. Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00790 Helsinki, Finland 8. Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200284, Nigeria 9. Department of Veterinary Services, Kwara State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ilorin 240213, Nigeria
Abstract
The abuse and misuse of antibiotics is one of the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Globally, AMR in food-producing animals is a significant public health concern. This study, therefore, assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to antibiotic usage (AMU) and AMR among poultry farmers in Nepal. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 605 poultry farmers from six districts of Nepal from May to June 2022 to assess the status of knowledge, attitude, as well as practices toward prudent antibiotic usage (AMU) and AMR. The majority of the participants in our study were from the Chitwan district (31.6%; n = 191/605), aged 30–44 (54.2%; n = 328/605), males (70.4%; n = 426/605), and farmers with a higher secondary (28.76%; n = 174/605) level of education. The tetracyclines (28%, n = 228/828), aminoglycosides (23%, n = 188/828), and fluoroquinolones (15%, n = 126/828) were the most used antibiotics classes among poultry farmers. Although 87.8% (n = 531/605) of poultry farmers used antibiotics, 49.8% (n = 301/605) of them were aware of AMR, and 55.7% (n = 337/605) knew that the misuse of antimicrobials could affect human and environmental health. There were significant differences in the knowledge, attitude, and practices toward prudent AMU and AMR among farmers who reared different birds. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice score of the respondents were 7.81 ± 3.26, 5.8 ± 2.32, and 7.59 ± 3.38 when measured on a scale of 12, 10, and 15, respectively. Based on a cut-off of 75% of the maximum score, 49.4% (n = 299/605), 62.8% (n = 380/605), and 12.73% (n = 77/605) of the respondents had good knowledge, attitude, and practices toward prudent AMU and AMR, respectively. The multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that the positive predictors of good knowledge and attitude were male gender, higher level of education, district, and the types of birds (layers). Similarly, those of the male gender (OR: 3.36; 95% CI: 1.38–8.20; p = 0.008) and those that rear layers (OR: 4.63; 95% CI: 1.75–12.25; p = 0.003) were more likely to practice prudent usage of antimicrobials. The findings of this study show poor practice toward prudent antibiotic usage despite good knowledge of AMR. This study provides essential baseline data on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of poultry farmers in Nepal and offers valuable insights that could help in the design of interventions and policies aimed at addressing illicit AMU and AMR in poultry in Nepal.
Funder
University of Helsinki
Subject
Pharmacology (medical),Infectious Diseases,Microbiology (medical),General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics,Biochemistry,Microbiology
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