Antibiotic use and knowledge of antibiotic resistance among pig farmers in Ejisu and Juaben municipalities of Ashanti region, Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens which have now become a threat to public health. Antibiotic use is high in poultry and pig production, compared to other food-producing animals, yet in Ghana, there is limited data and surveillance studies on their use. The study investigates the knowledge of farmers on antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance.

Methods: a cross-sectional study, utilizing a structured questionnaire, was therefore conducted to investigate antibiotic usage and to assess the knowledge of antibiotic resistance among pig farmers in the Ejisu and Juaben municipalities in the Ashanti region of Ghana.

Results: results obtained indicate that 98% of respondents use antibiotics. Penicillin-streptomycin is the most frequently used antibiotic by the farmers (98%, n = 49), followed by sulfadimidine (72%, n = 36), tetracyclines (70%, n = 35) and trimethoprim (2%, n = 1). Knowledge of pig farmers on antibiotic resistance was generally poor with only 26% having adequate knowledge of antibiotics and
antimicrobial resistance. Only 22.4% of the farmers sought veterinary advice before administering antibiotics.

Conclusion: this study established that farmers' knowledge of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance is influenced by their education, experience in pig farming, information source, and veterinary services advice. There is inadequate knowledge of pig farmers on antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance and poor practices regarding antibiotic use. Hence the need to intensify farmer-education programs on the appropriate use of antimicrobials to minimize the development of resistant strains of pathogens.