A small number of farms are responsible for the majority of antibiotic use
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent from Environment | The Guardian on (#3B9Z3)
Research shows antibiotic use is uneven between farms, making behaviour change a tantalising prospect
A small number of the UK's dairy farms account for an outsized proportion of antibiotic use, according to new research, suggesting that closer scrutiny of antibiotic prescribing practices could help bring down their use.
A study published in the BMJ publication Vet Record found some farms were using "extremely high levels" of antibiotics in their cattle. While most of the dairy farms surveyed showed lower than average use compared with the averages for all livestock reared in the UK, some outlying farms with high levels of use stood out.