THE ASSESSMENT OF ANTIBIOTICS USAGE AND DISEASE TRENDS IN COMMERCIAL BROILER FARMS OF POTOHAR REGION IN PAKISTAN: IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SAFETY

Pakistan's agriculture sector contributing 14.63% to the GDP in 2024 is majorly supported by the poultry industry, with a population of more than one billion broiler chickens.This research was conducted, in which data was collected from March 2022 to December 2023 through a structured questionnaire and analyzed by using univariate and multivariate methods, including multiple correspondence analyses (MCA) and cluster dendrogram.This study identified enteritis (38.46%), bronchitis (19.23%) and Newcastle disease (15.38%) as the most prevalent diseases.The antibiotic colistin, which is considered as the last resort antibiotic, was found most frequently used in (76.92%) followed by quinolones (65.38%), amoxicillin (53.84%), macrolides (34.61%), and aminoglycosides (30.76%).The antibiotics sulfonamides (15.38%), tetracyclines (11.53%) and nitrofuranes (3.84%) were found to be used less commonly in farm management practices.These findings highlight an overuse of colistin and other antibiotics, mostly in combination, posing a significant threat to public health for the possible emergence of antimicrobial resistance against this drug.Our findings elucidate the vitality of educational interventions and farming-oriented training in the improvement of management strategies and sustainable farming practices.By addressing the extra-label uses of antibiotics in broiler farms, Pakistan can take major steps towards alleviating the global threat of antibiotic resistance while ensuring food safety and public health.