The Herd Health and Welfare Index as a benchmarking tool for antimicrobial resistance
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The SafePork conference series began in 1996 to bring together international researchers, industry, and government agencies to discuss current Salmonella research and identify research needs pertaining to both pig and pork production. In subsequent years topics of research presented at these conferences expanded to include other chemical and biological hazards to pig and pork production.
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Abstract
The occurrence of antimicrobial resistant microorganisms in livestock, especially ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (E.coli), is an increasing challenge (WHO, 2001). The aim of this project is to analyse the relationship between herd health and animal welfare on the one hand, evaluated by means of a self-developed Herd Health and Welfare Index (HHWI), and on the other the frequency of the antimicrobial resistant microorganisms. The developed HHWI described in this paper includes animal- oriented and management-based parameters that can be easily assessed at farm level, resulting in an easy-to-use benchmarking tool.
Within the FP7-EU research project EFFORT, the health and welfare quality of 180 pig herds in nine participating European countries are evaluated by using the parameters of the HHWI and the occurrence of ESBL-producing E. coli in the study herds by analysing faecal samples.