Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently a high priority topic for public health and a paradigmatic example of the One Health concept. AMR bacteria flow among humans and animals and actions for fighting the problem must take into account both sectors. Antimicrobial usage (AMU) is one of the potential drivers for AMR. In the animal sector, many national and supra-national authorities (e.g. the European Medicines Agency) have established AMU monitoring programs, most of them being based on sales data of antimicrobials for veterinary use. While providing very valuable information, these data also have limitations and make it difficult to identify by whom, when and how the antimicrobial products were actually used. Different central aspects of AMU monitoring remain to be solved, including, among others: full coverage of both companion and food animal, use of appropriate methods for collection of information at the animal and farm levels and choice of metrics of measurement of AMU and animal populations at risk.
The scope of this article collection is to join researchers interested in AMU monitoring in animals around the world, in order to exchange expertise, proposals and results covering the gaps mentioned above, in both livestock and companion animals, and use of this information for improving antimicrobial stewardship among antimicrobials end-users (including veterinarians, farmers, and animal owners). Specifically, we would like to encourage the submission of manuscripts that give insight into the following research questions:
1. Comparison of different metrics to characterize AMU in animals
2. Comparison of national/supra-national vs end-users (including veterinarians, farmers, owners) approaches to monitor AMU
3. AMU metrics and methods to compare AMU between countries
4. AMU metrics and methods to compare AMU between sectors or users (e.g. benchmarking)
5. AMU metrics and methods to assess the potential for the selection of AMR
6. Possible common approaches for AMU monitoring in humans and animals
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently a high priority topic for public health and a paradigmatic example of the One Health concept. AMR bacteria flow among humans and animals and actions for fighting the problem must take into account both sectors. Antimicrobial usage (AMU) is one of the potential drivers for AMR. In the animal sector, many national and supra-national authorities (e.g. the European Medicines Agency) have established AMU monitoring programs, most of them being based on sales data of antimicrobials for veterinary use. While providing very valuable information, these data also have limitations and make it difficult to identify by whom, when and how the antimicrobial products were actually used. Different central aspects of AMU monitoring remain to be solved, including, among others: full coverage of both companion and food animal, use of appropriate methods for collection of information at the animal and farm levels and choice of metrics of measurement of AMU and animal populations at risk.
The scope of this article collection is to join researchers interested in AMU monitoring in animals around the world, in order to exchange expertise, proposals and results covering the gaps mentioned above, in both livestock and companion animals, and use of this information for improving antimicrobial stewardship among antimicrobials end-users (including veterinarians, farmers, and animal owners). Specifically, we would like to encourage the submission of manuscripts that give insight into the following research questions:
1. Comparison of different metrics to characterize AMU in animals
2. Comparison of national/supra-national vs end-users (including veterinarians, farmers, owners) approaches to monitor AMU
3. AMU metrics and methods to compare AMU between countries
4. AMU metrics and methods to compare AMU between sectors or users (e.g. benchmarking)
5. AMU metrics and methods to assess the potential for the selection of AMR
6. Possible common approaches for AMU monitoring in humans and animals
