Swiss study links farm type to antimicrobial use in cattle, pigs

Version 1 — Brief

A new Swiss study suggests that farm structure may shape antimicrobial use in opposite ways for dairy cattle and finisher pigs. Using data from Switzerland’s national antimicrobial reporting system, researchers compared specialized single-species farms with mixed farms housing both dairy cattle and finisher pigs, and found higher antimicrobial use in dairy cattle on mixed farms, but lower use in finisher pigs on those same mixed farms. The work builds on Switzerland’s IS ABV reporting system, which has required veterinarians to report antibiotic prescriptions since 2019 and is now being used to benchmark use patterns at farm level. (anresis.ch)

Why it matters: For veterinarians and herd health teams, the study is a reminder that antimicrobial stewardship may need to be tailored not just by species, but by farm type and management setup. That fits with earlier Swiss research showing dairy cattle remain a higher-use sector overall, with most treatments given intramammarily, while pig use is lower and more influenced by biosecurity and management practices such as sourcing and handling protocols. Other recent Swiss work has also linked lower antimicrobial use on dairy farms with better health and welfare indicators, suggesting management changes may reduce use without compromising care. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

What to watch: Expect follow-up work to focus on which specific management factors on mixed farms are driving these species-level differences, and whether those findings can be turned into farm-type-specific stewardship benchmarks. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)