| dc.description.abstract | Antiparasitic drugs exist to reduce the negative effects of parasitic infections. The use of
these drugs has negative side effects, such as the risk of antiparasitic drug resistance and
negative effects on the environment. To estimate the extent of these effects, it is necessary
to know how often and which antiparasitic drugs are administered. This is the first study
to quantify the use of antiparasitic drugs in dairy cattle in the Netherlands. This is done
by translating the sales data of the Universitaire Landbouwhuisdieren Praktijk (ULP) into
defined daily dosages per animal (DDDA). A total of 273 farms is included in this study.
To evaluate the antiparasitic drug use on farm level, the DDDAF was calculated. For drugs
authorized for specific age categories, the DDDAS was calculated, using the number and
weight of the corresponding age categories. Two different DDDAS were calculated, the
DDDAS ‘Cattle aged <2’ and the DDDAS ‘Cattle aged <1’. The seasonal distribution was
made visible by showing the DDDA values per quarter. An indication of a seasonal effect
in the use of antiparasitic drugs was found, however, to confirm this effect, it should be
studied more extensively. The DDDA values of the population show a wide spread, on
farm level as well as in the specific categories. A large part of the population does not
even use antiparasitic drugs at all. The wide spread together with the number of no use
farms indicates that an overall reduction is possible a reduction with the goal of
preserving the ability to treat infected animals and minimize the effects for the
environment. | |
