ArticleBMC veterinary research2024
Prudent use and antimicrobial prescription practices in Ethiopian veterinary clinics located in different agroecological areas.
Article in BMC veterinary research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Antimicrobial Use in Dromedary Camels: Off-Label Practices, Welfare Implications, and Antimicrobial Resistance Within a One Health Framework-A Narrative Review.Veterinary sciences · 2026Review
- Evaluation of the Utilization Pattern of Veterinary Drugs in Selected Veterinary Clinics of Mekelle City, Tigray, Ethiopia.Veterinary medicine and science · 2026Article
- Determinants of antimicrobial resistance practices in Ethiopia: A One Health mixed-methods study.One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2026Article
- Assessment of animal owners' compliance with short-course antibiotic treatment at the University of Gondar Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia.BMC veterinary research · 2026Article
- Promoting antimicrobial stewardship on dairy farms in Mekelle, Northern Ethiopia: a field intervention with One Health implications.BMC veterinary research · 2026Article
- Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp in dairy farm in the Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia.BMC microbiology · 2025Article
- Systematic review and meta-analysis ofOne health (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2025Review
- Occurrence and Monitoring of the Zoonotic PathogenMicroorganisms · 2025Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundUnderstanding antimicrobial prescribing (AMP) practices and their prudent use in livestock can support the implementation of stewardship programs in veterinary medicine. Empiric therapy using antimicrobials is widely practiced in resource-poor settings, including Ethiopia. This could significantly contribute to the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the potential accumulation of residues in food. This study assessed AMP practices in Ethiopian veterinary clinics located in different agroecological zones (AEZs) as well as adherence to antimicrobial stewardship principles (ASPs).
methodsData were collected from case book records from four district veterinary clinics located in different AEZs in Ethiopia from 2015 to 2019. To identify factors associated with non-prudent AMP practices (i.e., the use of antimicrobials without therapeutic effects or benefits to the animal), data from registered clinical veterinary cases were selected using a systematic random sampling method. This led to the inclusion of approximately one-third of all records, including animal characteristics, disease symptoms and diagnosis, and details about the prescribed drugs. Descriptive statistics were used to report the proportions of drugs prescribed and adherence to the ASPs. The Chi-square test was used to establish an association between the drugs prescribed and the disease diagnoses and the districts. The factors associated with cases receiving antimicrobials and non-prudent AMP practices were also assessed using a multivariable logistic regression analysis.
resultsIn total, 12,438 clinical case records were considered. Approximately 97% of these cases received treatment without laboratory confirmation, and 15,243 drugs were prescribed. Among these prescriptions, 75% were for antimicrobials, with oxytetracycline (29%) and a combined formulation of penicillin-dihydrostreptomycin (19%) being the most often prescribed drugs. Overall, 19% of the cases were treated non-prudently with antimicrobials, with high incidences at Holeta (32%) and Sekoru (19%) (p < 0.001). Most cases, including viruses and other non-pathogens (100%), toxicants (97%), unknown causes (94%), fungi (70%), nutritional (64%), risk of bacterial infection (42%), and endo-ectoparasites (24%), were treated non-prudently. Cases receiving antimicrobials and non-prudent AMP were associated with Holeta and Sekoru study clinics, major clinical signs of bloat and loss of body condition, and illness due to viral infections (p < 0.05). Conversely, species of animals and cases diagnosed with multiple etiologic agents and respiratory diseases were negatively associated with prudent AMP practices (p < 0.05).
conclusionsMuch of the prescription practice observed in this study did not adhere to the ASPs; there were significant discrepancies between the prescribed drugs and disease diagnoses. Prescribing antimicrobials for unrelated diagnoses may contribute to an increase in AMR. The study thus underlines the need for mechanisms to improve accurate disease diagnosis and prescriber adherence to prudent AMP in countries with limited resources.
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