Assessing antibiotic use patterns of Wakiso Health Centre IV and selected sympatric poultry farms in Wakiso Town Council, Wakiso District

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is a global threat to both animal and public health. Irrational antibiotic use has been identified among the drivers of antibiotic resistance in both animal and human populations. This study was to assess antibiotic use patterns at Wakiso Health Centre IV and selected sympatric farms in Wakiso town council, Wakiso District. This was a cross-sectional study that involved review of 347 outpatient prescriptions carried out between September 2021 and November 2021. It also involved the use of structured questionnaires to obtain the antibiotic use practices at 36 poultry farms. The Data obtained was analyzed in SPSS statistical package 20 for descriptive statistics to obtain frequencies and percentages. 72% (250/347) of the prescriptions were with at least one antibiotic. The mean number of antibiotics per prescription was 1.7 (412/250). Majority of these 18% (45/250) were prescribed for the diagnosis of common cold. Penicillins 31% (129/412) and nitroimidazoles 23% (94/412) were the most commonly prescribed antibiotic classes among the outpatients. Among the poultry farms, all 36 (100%) recorded use of antibiotics via the oral route. Of these, majority 88.9% (32/36) use antibiotics for treatment while 61.1% (22/36) use antibiotics for prophylaxis. 50% (18/36) rely on fellow farmers or their experience for antibiotic prescription information, 50% (18/36) pour away excess antibiotic mixture and throw used sackets on farm premises, 50% (18/36) have knowledge on drug withdrawal periods though none observed them. Coughing 75% (27/36) and diarrhea 61% (22/36) were identified by majority of the farmers as signs that prompted antibiotic use. Tetracyclines 41.7% (15/36) were the commonly used antibiotics among the poultry farmers. Aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, macrolides and tetracyclines were the classes of antibiotics shared by both groups. However, macrolides (P<0.001) and tetracyclines (P<0.001) were significantly used more on the poultry farms than the health center. Therefore, careful action should be taken by the stakeholders in both the animal and public health sectors in order to promote rational use of antibiotics.