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Research article2018Peer reviewedOpen access

Application of multiblock modelling to identify key drivers for antimicrobial use in pig production in four European countries

Collineau, L.; Bougeard, S.; Backhans, A.; Dewulfs, J.; Emanuelson, U.; Beilage, E. Grosse; Lehebel, A.; Loesken, S.; Postman, M.; Sjolund, M.; Stark, K. D. C.; Visschers, V. H. M.; Belloc, C.

Abstract

Antimicrobial use in pig farming is influenced by a range of risk factors, including herd characteristics, biosecurity level, farm performance, occurrence of clinical signs and vaccination scheme, as well as farmers' attitudes and habits towards antimicrobial use. So far, the effect of these risk factors has been explored separately. Using an innovative method called multi-block partial least-squares regression, this study aimed to investigate, in a sample of 207 farrow-to-finish farms from Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden, the relative importance of the six above mentioned categories or 'blocks' of risk factors for antimicrobial use in pig production, Four country separate models were developed; they showed that all six blocks provided useful contribution to explaining antimicrobial use in at least one country. The occurrence of clinical signs, especially of respiratory and nervous diseases in fatteners, was one of the largest contributing blocks in all four countries, whereas the effect of the other Mocks differed between countries. In terms of risk management, it suggests that a holistic and country-specific mitigation strategy is likely to he more effective. However, further research is needed to validate our findings in larger and more representative samples, as well as in other countries.

Keywords

Antibiotic; antimicrobials; multiblock partial least-squares regression; pig production; risk mitigation

Published in

Epidemiology and Infection
2018, Volume: 146, number: 8, pages: 1003-1014
Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

      SLU Authors

      • Sustainable Development Goals

      Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

      UKÄ Subject classification

      Clinical Science

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268818000742

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/96398