Project Summary/Abstract Antibiotic use is the primary selective force behind the emergence of resistant bacteria. Therefore, optimizing strategies for antibiotic use (`stewardship') is an essential component of efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance, particularly in clinical settings. Optimization of antibiotic use requires measurement. Antibiotics have been available for use in animals for over 60 years, but systematic efforts to measure antibiotic use in animals at a national scale are a relatively recent undertaking. To inform stewardship programs, systems are needed for the systematic collection of on-farm antibiotic use data that reliably reflect the intensity of antibiotic use in food animal industries and advance knowledge of the principal indications for use and methods of administration (dose, route, duration) of specific antibiotic compounds. This project will focus on antibiotic use data collection in the poultry and swine production systems of the U.S. and will assemble a multi-disciplinary team with expertise in multiple species to evaluate metrics for analyzing, reporting and summarizing the data. Long-term this project will establish platforms for the consistent and sustainable collection of antibiotic use data on-farm. This project addresses all of the key characteristics needed in a system for collecting on-farm antibiotic use data. Specifically, our system will focus on the broiler chicken, turkey, table egg and swine industries of the U.S. to: 1) Provide detailed antimicrobial drug use data that accurately reflects actual on-farm use, 2) Provide “baseline” data on antimicrobial use (i.e., data prior to the implementation of Guidance For Industry (GFI) #213), 3) Pilot methodologies for collecting, summarizing, and reporting antimicrobial use data, 4) Foster public-private partnerships/collaboration, 5) Leverage existing data systems and minimize burden and disruption to animal producers, and 6) Incorporate strategies for protecting farm/producer identity and other confidential information.

Project Narrative Antibiotic use is the primary selective force behind the emergence of resistant bacteria. Therefore, optimizing strategies for antibiotic use (`stewardship') is an essential component of efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance, particularly in clinical settings. Optimization of antibiotic use requires measurement. This project will develop a system for collecting on-farm quantitative antibiotic use data in the broiler chicken, turkey, table egg and swine industries of the U.S. and will establish metrics for analyzing and reporting antibiotic use.