23.11.2020

Singer et al. (2020) Zoonoses and Public Health, 67, 36-50.

Data were collected for the period 2013 through 2017 and are reported on a calendar year basis. The data supplied by participating companies represented approximately 67.3% of turkey production in the United States in 2013 and increased to approximately 69.8% in 2017.
The estimated percentage of turkey poults placed that received hatchery antimicrobials decreased from 96% in 2013 to 41% in 2017. Medically important in‐feed antimicrobial use decreased substantially. For example, in‐feed tetracycline use decreased approximately 67% between 2013 and 2017. Medically important water‐soluble antimicrobial use decreased substantially for most antimicrobials. Between 2013 and 2017, water‐soluble penicillin use decreased approximately 42%, water‐soluble tetracycline use decreased approximately 28%, and water‐soluble lincomycin use decreased approximately 46%. Reducing the total amounts of antimicrobials used might be a crude indicator for mitigating the selection of antimicrobial resistance. Reducing the need for such use and verifying that treatment regimens deliver beneficial outcomes to animal health are more meaningful objectives.