Antimicrobial use in pig production and its associated risk factors in Wakiso District, Uganda

Abstract

The high use of antimicrobials in food animals such as pigs raises concerns about food safety, security, trade and market access for livestock and livestock products. The study determined the prevalence of antimicrobial use in pig production and its associated risk factors in Wakiso district, Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Wakiso district, Uganda between August and October 2022. It involved the use of mixed methods design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from pig farmers and veterinary workers. The quantitative data was collected from 409 households in Kakiri, Kyengera, and Kasanje Town Council, Wakiso district. Three Key Informant Interviews and three Focus Group Discussions were conducted with the veterinary workers and pig farmers respectively. Quantitative data was analysed using STATA 14 and qualitative data analysed thematically using NVIVO 12 pro software. The majority of the respondents were females (65.3%) with at least 91.7% of the respondents had completed the primary level of education. Out of the surveyed households, 94.1% (385/409) had used antimicrobials in pig production in the past six months to the time of study. Most of the respondents (94.8%) who used antimicrobials obtained them from veterinary workers or pharmacies. The common antimicrobials used by pig farmers were; Sulphonamides, tetracyclines, penicillin and streptomycin, gentamicin, and amoxicillin. Qualitative results showed that pig farmers were also using extra label drugs such as Paracetamol, Antiretroviral drugs, and Ampicillin in pig production. Vaccination of pigs (6.9 odds ratio), farmers’ knowledge on antimicrobials and antimicrobial use (3.2 odds ratio), and people freely accessing the pig farms (2.6 odds ratio) were all associated with high antimicrobial use in pig production in Wakiso district. Qualitative results also emphasized that farmers with high knowledge on antimicrobials were more likely to use antimicrobials in pig production than their counterparts. The study found a high use of antimicrobials in pig production among the study households of Wakiso district. Therefore, there is a need for farmers to improve the biosecurity measures on their farms to reduce the risks of diseases and thus reduce the need for antimicrobials. Sensitization should also be done to create a positive attitude among farmers to use antimicrobials only when necessary.