Punjab moves to control antibiotic misuse in poultry

ISLAMABAD, Sep 21 (APP):Punjab is intensifying efforts to promote responsible antibiotic use, strengthen biosecurity and improve hygiene at poultry farms to curb antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and protect poultry health.

Dr Farhan Afzal, Director of Poultry Research Institute (PRI), told Wealth Pakistan that raising awareness among poultry farmers about the judicious use of antibiotics, farm hygiene and effective biosecurity was essential for maintaining healthy and sustainable poultry production.

“The Punjab Livestock Department has always remained at the forefront of awareness campaigns and other initiatives aimed at ensuring healthy poultry production in the province,” he said.

Punjab accounts for around 70 per cent of Pakistan’s more than 15,000 poultry farms, making improvements in farm practices in the province particularly important for the country’s poultry meat and egg supply.

Dr Farhan said the Punjab government is also participating in activities under the Fleming Fund, an international initiative aimed at tackling antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals.

He said misuse and overuse of antibiotics could enable bacteria to develop resistance to medicines, underscoring the importance of responsible antibiotic use for both animal and human health.

He rejected the notion that a “superbug” is currently prevalent in Pakistan’s poultry sector, explaining that the term is non-scientific and generally used to describe bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics.

Good production practices, including proper farm management, effective biosecurity, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment, could substantially reduce disease risks at poultry farms, he said.

“Currently, no major zoonotic disease is prevailing in Pakistan’s poultry sector, particularly in Punjab,” Dr Farhan said.

He said common bacterial diseases such as E. coli and Salmonella could be controlled through basic sanitation measures at the poultry-production level and during the handling of poultry products.

He added that poultry meat in Pakistani households was generally consumed fully cooked, which helped eliminate harmful germs.

Dr Farhan said diagnostic and surveillance capacity was also being strengthened. The Bacteriology Laboratory at PRI Rawalpindi had recently been accredited by the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC).

“This prestigious accreditation reflects the laboratory’s commitment to international standards of quality, technical competence and excellence in diagnostic services,” he said.

According to Dr Farhan, the accreditation would strengthen avian disease diagnostics, AMR surveillance and quality-assured laboratory services for Pakistan’s poultry sector.

Representatives of the poultry farming community have meanwhile supported measures to contain antimicrobial resistance while calling for a broader national biosecurity policy covering the use of antibiotics in humans, livestock and poultry.

Dr Abdul Karim Bhatti, former Punjab chairman of the Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA), said unrestricted access to antibiotics remained a major concern.

He told Wealth Pakistan that there should be a complete ban on the over the counter sale of antibiotics of all types.

He said strict implementation of such a ban would help reduce misuse of antibiotics and contain antimicrobial resistance among both humans and animals, including poultry.