Vet's view: Don't turn a blind eye to antibiotic resistance

Antibiotics are used regularly in both human and veterinary medicine. Photo / File

It's easy to try turn a blind eye to antibiotic resistance.

It's a complicated topic, and it is difficult to imagine a life without them when we have been privileged enough to have access to high quality antibiotics for both ourselves and our animals our whole lives.

However, the chief medical officer of England has dubbed antibiotic resistance an "apocalyptic scenario" in which we see people die after routine surgery in the next two decades, due to not having access to effective antibiotics.

Vetora Veterinarian Rachel Numan. Photo / Supplied

British chancellor George Osborne has even gone as far to say that in the year 2050 10 million people a year could die due to antimicrobial resistance - a greater threat to mankind than cancer is at the moment.

This is fairly sobering - however, still doesn't answer the question of what responsibility we have, as New Zealanders, to try prevent this apocalyptic event becoming a reality.

Antibiotics are used regularly in both human and veterinary medicine.

While all aspects of antibiotic usage are under close scrutiny at the moment, I will attempt to shed some light on what New Zealand vets and dairy farmers are doing to play their part.

There are two main aims behind reducing antibiotic use in dairy cattle in New Zealand - the first of which is dramatically reducing the use of 'critical antibiotics' - those which are essential in human medicine.

This reduces the chances of bacteria becoming resistance to antibiotics that have no alternative in human medicine. It must be stressed that in New Zealand there is very little evidence that antibiotic use in animals is linked to human antibiotic resistance, however it has occurred overseas and we need to protect the people who work closely with animals.

It is worth talking to your veterinarian about which antibiotics fall into this category.

The second aim is to reduce overall antibiotic use. There are many benefits - one of the most important being ensuring that the antibiotics we are currently using remain effective in treating livestock. Reduced antibiotic use ensures that trade barriers remain open, and also has the benefit of reducing the cost of running a dairy business if done correctly.

Many farmers are already taking steps to reduce antibiotic use by selectively using dry cow antibiotics only on cows that have a current infection in conjunction with non-antibiotic teat sealants, rather than treating the whole herd with antibiotics at dry-off.

The Dairy Cattle Veterinarians society of New Zealand believes that by the year 2020, it will be achievable for all herds in New Zealand to be using selective dry cow therapy.

Of course, the most important thing that farmers and veterinarians are already doing, and will continue to do in the battle against antimicrobial resistance, is working together to ensure our herds remain in good health so that antibiotics are required as little as possible.