Animal Health & Veterinary Medicine

Antimicobials have been and are being used extensively in animal health and production to treat and/or prevent infections or diseases and as probiotics or antibiotic growth promoters. Most of these antimicrobials are similar in structure or formulary to those used for treatment of certain human infections or diseases. Indiscriminate, improper or irrational use of antimicrobials in agriculture, especially in animal health, have been recognised as a source or sources of exposure to antimicrobial and antimicrobial residues and a contributory factor to the emergence or persistence of antimicrobial resistance in certain bacteria causing infections in humans. This paper reviews information on antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in animal health and production in Ghana, discusses the implications of these findings to human health and sets out recommendations to mitigate the situation.