Antibiotic use, abuse and their public health implication: the contributory role of management flaws in the poultry industry in two agro-ecological zones in Ghana

Abstract

Fifty randomly selected registered commercial poultry farms in two agro-eccological zones in Ghana were investigated for contributory factors for antibiotic use and abuse and the public health implications thereof by means of questionnaires, interviews and on-the-spot inspections. Our results indicated that despite the good educational background of farm managers that should inform decisions and actions after veterinary advice, 31 drugs - antibiotics, coccidiostats and an antihelminthic - were being overly used to cover up husbandry and hygiene lapses and to make economic gains in terms of their constant use as growth promoters during the birds’ lifetime. Taking advantage of the situation, manufacturers have produced and marketed poultry feed supplements loaded with tylosin, chloroamphenecol, tetracycline and neomycin, antibiotics that have been banned in feed for food-producing animals. From market-ready eggs from these farms, antibiotic residues to which E. coli, S. aureus and B. subtilis were susceptible to were detected. Antibiotic residues were generally more concentrated in the albumen than in the yolk. The study also found that Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD) followed by coccidiosis were the major diseases against which medicines were used. Viral diseases were prevented with preventive vaccination in 60% of the farms but remainders of both antibiotics and vaccines were carelessly kept in 82% of the farms, a situation that could impact on their efficacies. It is suggested that the relevant government agencies like the Veterinary Services, Food and Drugs Board, Ministry of Health, Ghana Poultry Farmers Association and consumers make advocacy for enacting and enforcing regulations on food hygiene and use of antibiotics