UK pig industry posts further reductions in antibiotic use

New figures show the amount of antibiotic prescribed to treat pigs on UK farms in 2020 fell by 5%, bringing the total reduction since 2015 to 62%.
This was despite disease outbreaks and challenges from disruption to pig flow during the pandemic that meant pigs spent more time on farm than usual.

According to data collected using the electronic medicine book (eMB), antibiotic use in 2020 reduced to 105 mg/PCU, compared with 110 mg/PCU in 2019 and 278 mg/PCU in 2015.

The data represents more than 95% of pigs slaughtered in the UK and continues the downward trend since recording started, although challenges with swine dysentery in 2019 and early 2020 temporarily halted progress.