MAVIS Edition 127

The VMD is delighted to announce that on 2 May, our designation as a UK FAO Reference Centre for AMR has been renewed by FAO until 2027. This is a collective designation across the three executive agencies of Defra - VMD, APHA and Cefas. As one of only nine FAO Reference Centres for AMR globally, our designation recognises the high standards of expertise and knowledge in AMR within the VMD and across Defra and highlights the ongoing commitment of the UK government to addressing the global threat posed by AMR.

Under our renewed designation we will continue to work with FAO to combat AMR across sectors in food and agriculture around the world, supporting the delivery of the objectives of the FAO Action Plan on AMR. We look forward to continuing to deliver our schedule of exciting projects and activities in collaboration with our country partners, the Fleming Fund, APHA and Cefas across the next four years.

3.2 Defra Antimicrobial Resistance Coordination (DARC) Group

The Defra Antimicrobial Resistance Coordination (DARC) group held a meeting on 15 June. The meeting included:

an update on recent findings from across the UK on AMR in bacteria of importance to animal and public health
an overview of the feedback from the recent consultation of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMR)
an update on the AMR surveillance in the agri-food environment being conducted through the PATH-SAFE programme was provided.
VMD update on the development of the 2024 to 2029 AMR National Action Plan (NAP).
UKHSA overview of their new survey on “the prevalence and associated risk factors of AMR microbes in the English general population”.
update on the activities of the National Biosurveillance Network

The next meeting is scheduled for 19 September. Minutes from previous meetings are available on GOV.UK.

3.3 Antibiotic usage - Stakeholder engagement

The Cattle Antibiotic Guardian Group met on 12 April, attended by Fraser Broadfoot and Catrina Prince. Topics of discussion included the Medicine Hub, which is a very important initiative as it offers the national industry-wide antibiotic use data collection system in ruminants. It allows for the recording of antibiotic use and brings together multiple industry antibiotic use datasets in a standardised way to create an overall national antibiotic use figure for the dairy beef and sheep sectors, while also allowing antibiotic benchmarking by farm type.

ROADMAP Project knowledge-exchange workshop: Fraser Broadfoot and Catrina Prince attended a 2-day knowledge-exchange with delegates from many EU countries. The event was co-ordinated by the James Hutton Institute and focussed on antibiotic use and stewardship in calf rearing and dairy farms. ROADMAP Final Event was attended by Catrina Prince, where speakers outlined the project’s research, policy, and network building outcomes.

Catrina Prince, the AMR team’s AMU Stewardship and Stakeholder Engagement manager delivered interactive workshops at Harper Keele and the University of Liverpool to veterinary undergraduates on AMR and AMU stewardship. She also attended as an external judge for the Animal Health Sciences poster event at Harper Keele Vet school.

Members of the AMR team attended the Antibiotic Guardian Awards Ceremony on 2 May. Winners on the animal health side include Arwain VetCymru and the electronic Medicines Book for pigs.

The Transatlantic Taskforce subgroup which focuses on antimicrobial usage, co-chaired by Fraser Broadfoot, met on 3 May. The key discussion included working to finalise a review paper on the reporting of antimicrobial sales and usage data by member countries (UK, EU, USA and Canada) which will be published soon.

The Pig Health and Welfare Antimicrobial Subgroup met on 16 May, attended by Fraser Broadfoot and Catrina Prince. The latest antibiotic usage data was discussed which demonstrates a 20% reduction in antibiotic use between 2021 and 2022, meaning that antibiotic use has now reduced in the pig sector by 75% since 2014 UK pig industry reduces antibiotic use by 75% with a concerted eight-year effort,AHDB.

June saw the launch of the VetTeamAMR Companion Animal and Equine learning platform (funded by VMD), which provides over 20 hours of CPD relating to improving how antibiotics are used in dogs, cats and horses – including specific modules on diagnostics, behaviour change and infection control RCVS Knowledge CPD: All courses.

3.4 PATH-SAFE

The AMR pilots within PATH-SAFE are ongoing. These projects are part of a suite of AMR pilots within PATH-SAFE to fill knowledge gaps in our understanding of AMR in agri-food systems. The project investigating AMR in bulk milk, in feed and in raw feed ingredients, and AMR in sheep survey are progressing well and the UK wide AMR survey of cattle has commenced its sampling phase.

3.5 Policy and Communications

AMR National Action Plan: Work to develop the next UK National Action Plan (NAP) for AMR continues at pace, with content being developed by AMR colleagues across the UK and Devolved governments, with the VMD coordinating commitments around AMR relating to animals, plants, food and the environment.

We are seeking ministerial approval to publish the results from a public ‘Call for evidence’ consultation which was open to the public between November 2022-January 2023. Both internal government and external expert groups will be involved in reviewing the AMR NAP during its development.

Veterinary Medicines Regulations (VMRs): The consultation on the proposed changes to the VMRs closed at the end of March. The VMD is now in the process of analysing and considering the responses received to the consultation on the proposed changes, as they apply in Great Britain. Next, a government response will be published, which will include a summary of consultation feedback.