Knowledge and Practices of Poultry Farmers Contributing to Antimicrobial Resistance in Nsukka

Antimicrobial use in animal husbandry has been ascribed to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) gene selection and build-up in treated animals' microbiota. This ends up in the food chain and contributes immensely to drug resistance in the society. Studies on risk factors for antimicrobial resistance in poultry can be useful in providing data and designing appropriate control measures. This study therefore assessed the knowledge and practices affecting AMR in poultry farms in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. A semi-structured and pre-tested questionnaire was administered to 44 poultry farmers in the study area. Among the farmers, 90.91% were aware that excessive antimicrobial use contributes to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. More than 70% of the farms lacked basic hygiene and biosecurity facilities/measures. Sixty percent of the farmers buried their dead birds, all (100%) packaged their dung for subsequent land disposal, and 50% dumped expired, unused/used drug packets in the nearest bush. About 65, 100, and 90% of antimicrobial usage were for growth promotion, prophylactic purposes, and therapeutic purposes, respectively. Finally, only 18.18% observed withdrawal periods before disposal of their products. The study found that the farmers used non-therapeutic antimicrobials as a "simple fix" or to compensate for poor management practices. There is need to further educate the farmers on the contributions of their activities to drug resistance in the society.