First report on EU-wide sales and use of antimicrobials in animals

The European Union 27 countries, Iceland, and Norway, have collected data on the sales and use of antimicrobials in animals in their countries for the first time. The data, presented in the first European Sales and Use of Antimicrobials for Veterinary Medicine (ESUAvet) annual surveillance report, covers the year 2023. Sales of antibiotics for food-producing animals accounted for 98% of total EU sales of veterinary medicines containing substances with antibiotic activity. The highest selling antimicrobial class for food-producing animals were penicillins, followed by tetracyclines and sulfonamides. The data on use was collected for four main food-producing animal species in 2023, with veterinarians playing a key role in gathering data. The initiative builds on the European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) project, which led to a 50% drop in sales of veterinary antibiotics over 12 years.