Antimicrobial Stewardship

The Stewardship section of AUS creates materials and presents information to help California livestock producers and veterinarians understand and implement the judicious use of antimicrobials. To accomplish this, the team publishes resources such as Best Management Practices on relevant topics and provides continuing education sessions for veterinarians. We are guided by a set of values outlined in our document, Principles of Antimicrobial Stewardship .

Program notes are provided to update the reader on the progress the AUS program has made on the guidelines* that will inform measures to mitigate antimicrobial resistance. Notes are current as of publication.

Commitment to Partnership

Program Note: Guidelines on VCPR Practice Models have been developed for interactions with youth agriculture groups and additional models are forthcoming.

VCPR Practice Model – Youth Agriculture: CDFA Informational Brochure

VCPR Example – Agent Authorization: This document is not required for youth agriculture participation, or to establish or maintain a VCPR. The intent of the document is to inspire creative solutions within the context of the definition of a VCPR in California. A VCPR is validated by the communications and actions between the veterinarian and the client.

Nominate Veterinary Shortage Areas Help guide CDFA’s efforts to nominate veterinary shortage areas for USDA’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP). The program helps qualified veterinarians offset a significant portion of the debt incurred in pursuit of their veterinary medicine degrees in return for their service in certain high-priority veterinary shortage situations.

Animal Health and Disease Prevention

Program Note: Best management practices and syndrome-specific antimicrobial stewardship guidelines will be developed for each livestock production type after information is gathered from California livestock owners in order to recommend effective, practical, and scientifically-based practices.

The Vaccine Handling Guidelines provide direction for producers and veterinarians of all livestock species to assist with creating an effective vaccination program. This document includes five eye-catching infographics describing the following key components: planning; storage; transportation; administration; and follow-up, monitoring & records, with the goal of maximizing disease prevention through focused and effective vaccination plans. The Resources for Veterinarians document includes additional research-based information and resources for expanding your knowledgebase and enhancing your practice.

CDFA AUS – Best Management Practices (BMPs) // Vaccine Handling Guidelines: These guidelines are presented in an easily accessible, infographic format.
CDFA AUS - BMPs for Vaccine Handling Guidelines | Español: CDFA AUS - Buenas prácticas de manejo // Pautas de Manejo de Vacunas

CDFA AUS – Best Management Practices (BMPs) // Vaccine Handling Guidelines – Resources for Veterinarians: The veterinary resources are to be used in addition to the infographic guidelines.
CDFA AUS – Best Management Practices (BMPs) // Vaccine Handling Guidelines – Resources for Veterinarians

These cow calf guidelines provide direction for producers and veterinarians to assist with the detection, prevention and management of the top three diseases that can lead to antibiotic use in cow calf operations: pinkeye, scours, and bovine respiratory disease.

The documents titled Strategies for Management are infographic documents designed for producers. The documents titled Practical Guide for Veterinarians are to be used by veterinarians in addition to the infographic guidelines.

Pinkeye
Cow Calf Pinkeye: Strategies for Management | Español : Conjuntivitis bovina: Estrategias de manejo
Pinkeye Management in Cow Calf Operations: A Practical Guide for Veterinarians

Scours
Cow Calf Scours: Strategies for Management | Español : Diarrea neonatal de los terneros: Estrategias de manejo
Prevention of Neonatal Calf Diarrhea in Cow Calf Operations: A Practical Guide for Veterinarians

Bovine Respiratory Disease
Cow Calf Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD): Strategies for Management | Español : Enfermedad respiratoria bovina del ternero (ERB): Estrategias de manejo
Bovine Respiratory Disease Management in Cow Calf Operations: A Practical Guide for Veterinarians

Antimicrobial Stewardship During COVID-19 Pandemic: COVID-19 has brought numerous challenges to the animal production industry. Some of these challenges are affecting the typical chain of food distribution. This printer-friendly infographic lists considerations for the continuation of antimicrobial stewardship in livestock during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Antimicrobial Stewardship Planning Checklist is designed to help veterinarians engage in conversation with their livestock producers regarding broad, non-species specific health related topics. These topics are general considerations that veterinarians and producers may find useful when developing and implementing on-farm animal health plans. Use of these resources is voluntary and is helpful to facilitate and maintain a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR).

Antimicrobial Stewardship Planning Checklist One-Page: The one-page checklist format is useful as a quick guide.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Planning Checklist One-Page | Español: Lista de verificación para la planificación de administración de antimicrobianos de una página

Antimicrobial Stewardship Planning Checklist Workbook: The checklist workbook format has added space for notes and discussion.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Planning Checklist Workbook | Español: Cuaderno de trabajo de la lista de verificación para la planificación de administración de antimicrobianos

These cattle-specific fly identification, monitoring, and tracking resources were designed to support producers in identification and monitoring of common cattle fly pests, as well as provide the framework for development and evaluation of on-farm pest management plans.

Fly Identification, Monitoring, and Tracking Resource: Provides a comprehensive overview of cattle fly pest management, with species-specific information and infographics, monitoring guidelines, and resources for pest management strategies.
Fly Identification, Monitoring, and Tracking Resource

Fly Identification: General Monitoring Worksheet, Species Monitoring and Abundance Graph Worksheet, Strategy Tracker Worksheet: Printable worksheets best used in conjunction with the Fly Identification, Monitoring, and Tracking Resource. These worksheets are designed to aid in the tracking of fly abundance and evaluation of management strategies implemented on-farm. Both general and fly species-specific monitoring worksheets are available — please refer to specific worksheets for more information.
Fly Identification: General Monitoring Worksheet | Fly Identification: Species Monitoring and Abundance Graph Worksheet | Fly Identification: Strategy Tracker Worksheet

Fly Identification: Species Monitoring and Abundance Graph Interactive Excel Worksheet: This is an interactive spreadsheet version of the Fly Identification: Species Monitoring and Abundance Graph Worksheet printout and includes an automated fly abundance graphing feature. Please refer to this specific document for more information on its usage.
Fly Identification: Species Monitoring and Abundance Graph Interactive Excel Worksheet

Judicious Use of Antimicrobials

** Laws regarding drug use in livestock are established in order to ensure meat, poultry, dairy and eggs are safe for our families to eat and protect animal and human health. Please go to the Federal & State Policy page for more details on current laws.

Guidelines for Judicious Use of Antimicrobials in Livestock: These guidelines are intended to aid livestock owners and their employees responsible for animal care in responsible antibiotic use under the guidance of a veterinarian in compliance with state and federal laws.

Guidelines for Veterinarians: Judicious Use of Antimicrobials in Livestock: These guidelines are intended to serve as an adjunct to professional judgement. They are based on current scientific principles and state and federal laws regarding medically important antimicrobial drug use in livestock.

Responsible Antibiotic Use: This printer-friendly infographic of AUS’ Guidelines for Judicious Use of Antimicrobials in Livestock (see full text in documents above) is intended to help veterinarians, livestock owners, and their employees understand their roles and the necessary actions taken to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics, also referred to as antibiotic stewardship.

Printing Tip: For best printing results, adjust your Printer Properties to:
Orientation: Landscape and Scale: Shrink to Fit.

CAHFS Antibiogram Development Process: These slides outline the steps involved in creating Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) data and how the MIC data is used to develop antibiograms based on the process currently utilized by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS).

California Livestock Antibiograms: A User Guide: This document serves as a guide for veterinarians on how to interpret and apply antibiograms in clinical practice. Antibiograms are a clinical tool that can help optimize veterinary approaches to antimicrobial therapy, specific to a particular bacteria and drug combination. Please note: All CAHFS antibiograms are for advisement only and are intended to be used by veterinarians.

Antimicrobial Selection: Considerations for Veterinarians: This guide provides an overview of concepts to consider when using antimicrobial susceptibility test data to guide clinical decisions.

External Resource: AABP Position Statement – Medically Important Antimicrobials in the Prevention of Calf Diarrhea: The American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) released a position statement that veterinarians should use a systems approach to prevent calf diarrhea; as there is not enough evidence to support prophylactic use of medically important antimicrobials.

Record, Reevaluate, and Report

Program Note: For information on data gathering efforts please go to the Surveys & Studies page.

Expertise in Antimicrobial Stewardship (Continuing Education Opportunities)

If you are a veterinarian looking for judicious use and One Health Continuing Education, see Veterinary CE Resources.

Continuing Education for Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs (MIADs)
This link will redirect you to the Veterinary Medical Board's Continuing Education page. California veterinarians looking to fulfill their CE requirement in judicious use of MIADs may find resources at the Veterinary Medical Board’s website.

Opportunities for dairy antimicrobial stewardship continuing education:

In consideration of the ongoing concerns surrounding COVID-19, we are updating the “Partnering for Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Conference for Farmers and Veterinarians in the West” from a live in-person conference to a multi-day, 4-session interactive webinar series; every Wednesday, starting July 8, 2020 at 6-8PM (Pacific Time). We take these actions to ensure attendees may engage with dairy antimicrobial stewardship without concern for their personal health and safety.

UPDATED ‒ Partnering for Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Conference for Farmers and Veterinarians in the West***

The California Department of Food and Agriculture in collaboration with Washington State University and the University of California, Davis, present a multi-episode webinar series that brings practicing veterinarians and livestock producers together to learn about the threat antimicrobial resistance poses to animal health and human health, establish clear responsibilities of veterinarians and producers, and provide evidence-based, sustainable solutions to develop practical antimicrobial stewardship plans for their farms. The updated version of the conference now includes four unique webinar sessions recorded and available to view online. Please note, CE is not provided for previously recorded webinars. Self-study credit may apply, depending on your state's requirements.

More information is available at: Washington State University’s Veterinary Medicine Extension website.

***Funding for this conference was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant 1 R13 FD006696-01. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.

Please contact us with any questions or requests for Continuing Education speakers related to large animal antimicrobial stewardship. Email cdfa_aus@CDFA.ca.gov or reach out by phone at (916) 576-0300.

Printer Friendly Version: Principles of Antimicrobial Stewardship.

* Please note: Guidelines will be reviewed every three to five years and revised, as appropriate, based on a thorough review and assessment of relevant literature published since the development of the previous version of the guideline. Comments on this current version will be collected and saved for the next iteration of review and revision.

Antimicrobial Use and Stewardship