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The methodology established in the VetCAb project formed the basis
of the 16
th
amendment to the German Medicines Act passed in 2013,
which came into force on 1 April 2014. The law provides for the collec-
tion of data on the treatment frequency for different groups of livestock
animals throughout Germany based upon notification of usage by farm-
ers. Gathering this information in a centralised database will contribute
towards data on the use of antibiotics in animal production being col-
lected in standardised electronic form.
Knowledge of the frequency of treatment makes it possible to identify
farms with particularly frequent antibiotics usage which therefore play
a potentially key role in the selection and spread of resistance. Farms
with above-average frequency of treatment are required to take coun-
termeasures. Any farm that exceeds a certain frequency threshold must
develop an action plan in conjunction with its veterinarian and present
this to the relevant veterinary supervisory authority.
The VetCAb project was launched in order to better assess the use of antibiotics in agricultural livestock. The representative
data show the largest administered volumes for the two active substance groups beta-lactams and tetracyclines.
Main Topics 2013 | Antimicrobial resistance
