AVMA News

Convention speakers deliver lessons on antimicrobial resistance, stewardship

Resistance to antimicrobials threatens veterinarians’ ability to care for pets, livestock, and other animals.

A series of experts will share their perspective on that danger during AVMA Convention 2022 in Philadelphia—and will offer guidance on data collection and stewardship.

Piglets drinking water at pig breeding farm
Pigs reared on many farms are mass-medicated for short periods with antibiotics through their drinking water.

On July 30, Dr. Taylor S. Spronk, a veterinarian with Pipestone Veterinary Services in Pipestone, Minnesota, will deliver a session on antimicrobial stewardship on pig farms; Dr. Claire L. Fellman, an assistant professor in the Internal Medicine Service for small animals at Tufts University, will share learnings from a tertiary care hospital on implementing a stewardship program; and Dr. Samantha L. Lockwood, a veterinarian at Dermatology for Animals in Avondale, Arizona, and an adjunct professor at Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine, will describe ways to treat skin infections while minimizing administration of systemic antimicrobials. Dr. Lockwood’s presentation will also be livestreamed for virtual attendees.

On July 31, the continuing education program includes a session by Dr. Virginia R. Fajt, a clinical professor in the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology at the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, on how collecting antimicrobial use data can support veterinarians in making clinical decisions. And Dr. Edie Marshall, branch chief for the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Antimicrobial Use and Stewardship program, will describe California’s experience in transitioning antimicrobials to prescription-only status.

On Aug. 1, Dr. Alexander C. Zingher, a district epidemiology officer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, delivers a USDA module on use of antimicrobials in animals. And, on Tuesday, Dr. Cooper Brookshire, an assistant clinical professor at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine and a member of the AVMA Committee on Antimicrobials, will talk about the epidemiological basis for rational antimicrobial administration using estimates on how many animals need to be treated to achieve a beneficial or harmful outcome.