Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), when bacteria no longer respond to antibiotics, is a top human health risk. It’s something directly affecting farmers and farmworkers, who are constantly exposed to bacteria through their livestock.

At Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC)’s recent annual general meeting, Daniel Lefebvre, chief operations officer of Lactanet and chief science adviser to the CEO at DFC, chaired a panel on this crucial topic. Featuring special guests Dr. Herman Barkema, professor of epidemiology of infectious diseases at the University of Calgary, veterinarian Dr. Rob Tremblay, and dairy farmer and former DFC board representative Dave Taylor, the panel discussed antimicrobial use and the importance of reducing its reliance.

“Internationally, the costs of antimicrobial resistance are higher than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined,” Barkema said. Each year, 18,000 hospitalized patients in Canada acquire AMR infections; 4.95 million people around the world die annually from such infections, with figures increasing every year.

The factors behind the increasing rates of AMR include higher use of antibiotics in both human and livestock health management, the sale of medications without medical supervision and the lack of proper adherence to medical and veterinarian advice.

Eighty-two percent of antimicrobials distributed in Canada are intended for production animals; adjusted for populations and the size of animals, this means 1.8 times more antimicrobials were used in animals than in humans. These can enter the environment through the cow’s urine and manure, and the biggest path of transmission for the public is not through pasteurized milk or beef sold at the grocery store, but through groundwater.

“From the studies [the University of Calgary] did for the [World Health Organization], it was clear that if we reduce the use of antibiotics in animals, the resistance in humans goes down,” Barkema said. He shared data showing that the number of infections among farmers and farmworkers also decreases by 29%.

Tremblay detailed changes that have occurred in Canada since 2019 regarding antimicrobial use and AMR. In February of that year, Quebec restricted treating animals with antibacterial drugs deemed very high in importance to humans, without extensive testing or using alternatives when available.

In the five years since this regulation was made, studies show that more Canadian farmers and veterinarians reduced all antibiotic treatments. “Because dairy farmers recognize that they have an obligation from an economic standpoint as well as from a welfare standpoint, there was a switch to more preventative strategies,” Tremblay said. “They said, ‘We’re going to aggressively go out and reduce the risk of our animals having the disease.’ It was a great side benefit.”

Dave Taylor, who learned much about AMR through his work at DFC and as a board member of Animal Health Canada, became more and more aware of the use of antibiotics on his own farm. “When we need antibiotics as the only cure, or those we love need them – even our cows and calves – we want those antibiotics to be available and to work to restore health.”

Taylor highlighted focusing on preventative tactics related to pre- and postcalving, calf care, foot care, mastitis and respiratory disease, as well as closely adhering to labels for medicinal dosage. Taylor said much of the industry’s progress comes down to working with a great veterinarian and being aware of the average farmer’s ability to make change toward this issue.

“Be open to learning about this important subject and become informed so that you can lead in this area,” Taylor said. “Maybe it won’t feel like just another issue to us. Rather, we can get this thing done for the sake of our families and our communities.”

Dr. Barkema concluded by applauding farmers like Taylor for how they have successfully changed their approaches to treating illnesses such as mastitis in consideration of AMR. “You have done a great job by bringing the somatic cell count down, and it was all through prevention.”

Learn about our progress on AMR and the action farmers can take at AMRaction.ca.

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is the national policy, lobbying and promotional organization representing Canadian dairy producers. DFC strives to create stable conditions for the dairy sector in our country. It also seeks to maintain policies that promote the sustainability of Canadian dairy production and promote dairy products and their health benefits. Visit DFC’s website for more information.