A survey on antibacterial drug use in broiler chicken farms in Qum province, Iran

Antibacterial drugs have long been used for prevention and treatment of poultry diseases but their misuse or overuse can make adverse effects on public health including occurrence of drug residues in poultry products.
To assess the frequency and status of antibacterial drug consumption in broiler production farms in Qum province.
In the present survey, Qum province was divided into six regions (north, west, southwest, south, southeast and east) and in total 138 broiler production units (59%) were studied by direct interview using a questionnaire.
The present study showed that the most frequently used antimicrobial drugs in broiler farms were sulfamethoxazole뚸ꙺ�ꚸ (93.4%) followed by enrofloxacin (60.0%), colistin (49.7 %), furazolidone (42.0 %), oxytetracycline (17.5 %), and chloramphenicol (14.6 %). Mean antibacterial consumption rate during a 42-48 day production period was 3.0± 0.37 times per farm. A notable finding in this survey was the high percentage of banned drug usage such as furazolidone and chloramphenicol, indicating the ignorance or unawareness of poultrymen regarding the potential hazards of these drugs on public health.
Owing to widespread and frequent usage of antibacterial drugs in broiler farms, all-out actions are needed to be taken in educational, research and administrative fields of veterinary and animal production sectors for rational and responsible use of these drugs in poultry industry.