Use of Antibiotics and Knowledge of Antibiotics Resistance by Selected Farmers in Oyo Town, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract. This survey was carried out to investigate antibiotics usage and knowledge of antibiotic resistance
among farmers in Oyo town, Nigeria. Data was collected using a questionnaire and interviews. A snowball
sampling technique was used to select 150 farmers and veterinary drug shop owners. The famers were
involved in cattle, fish and poultry faming. The farmers administered antibiotics to their animals when the
animals were sick (curative), to prevent secondary bacterial infection after a viral infection and on healthy
animals (for prophylaxis). Majority of the respondents had easy access to antibiotics and information about
them. On average, farmers had some knowledge about antibiotics resistance but not on how it spread. About
62% of the respondents believed that antibiotic resistance was a problem of other countries not Nigeria. They
also did not believe that sub-optimal dosing of antibiotics leads to resistance. It was concluded that there is
need for public awareness on the risk of misuse of antibiotics in animals and of consuming livestock products
with unsafe levels of antibiotic residues