Vol. 11, Special Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
Shivakumar R, S Wilfred Ruban, Srikrishna Isloor, D Rathnamma, Ahlen IG Barry, R Sharada and P Ravikumar

Abstract:
The present study has been designed to evaluate the socio-economic, health care and antimicrobial usage practices adapted by pig farmers. A total of 50 pig farmers engaged in commercial pig rearing in and around Bengaluru were surveyed using structured questionnaire to collect details of socio-economic status, household characteristics, feeding and manage mental practices, health care, hygiene and antimicrobial usage pattern to assess their knowledge, perception and attitude towards antibiotics. The results of the survey, indicated that majority of the pig farmers were small and marginal farmers (66%) belonging to other backward communities (44%) followed by scheduled caste (38%) and 96 percent of the farmers were Hindus. All the farmers (100%) practiced stall feeding and kitchen/hotel waste was the major source of feed for their pigs and regular vaccination (90%) against Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) and swine fever was being carried out. None of the farmers had records of antibiotic treatement of the pigs and they generally consulted veterinarians (68%) before use of antibiotics; however the antibiotics were administered by themselves or by the farm workers (80%). The major antibiotics used were tetracycline followed by enrofloxacin, sulphonamides (Co-trimazole) and Streptopenicillin. The antibiotics were used to treat respiratory/skin diseases, pyrexia, diarrhoea and urogenital infections / abortion in majority of the farms.