Work

EpiFAMU: an epidemiological tool for monitoring farm-level factors essential to antimicrobial use surveillance and infection prevention and control programs in poultry production systems in Zambia—development and application

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In recent years, Zambia and other countries have intensified their efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In the animal health sector, farm characteristics significantly affect AMR dynamics through antimicrobial use (AMU). In this regard, monitoring these farm factors remains essential for providing insights into the relation between AMU and AMR. Previously, we have shown the feasibility of monitoring AMU at the farm level using the Veterinary Consumption of Antibiotics - International Documentation (VetCAb-ID) system (©TiHo Hannover, Germany). In this study, we describe the development and application of EpiF AMU , a tool designed to monitor factors essential to AMU and infection prevention and control at the farm level. This epidemiological tool can monitor a series of distinct epidemiological variables across 13 key domains of poultry management, namely nutrition, vaccination, biosecurity, brooding, housing, equipment, personnel, market practices, extension services, AMR, AMU, mortality rates, and public health. We utilized EpiF AMU to assess AMU factor patterns in 45 broiler chicken farms in the Lusaka district of Zambia. Using the Wilcoxon test, an analysis of treatment frequency per day and farm factors revealed statistical significance for six variables: the belief that maximum production cannot be achieved without antimicrobials ( p = 0.0393), the number of drinking water dispensing points ( p = 0.0242), vitamin supplementation ( p = 0.0328), vitamin administration prior to vaccination ( p = 0.0094), measures to improve chick survival ( p = 0.0324), and litter thickness ( p = 0.035). Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of monitoring farm factors alongside AMU monitoring programs to generate valuable insights into potential risk factors within poultry farms that may lead to the use of antimicrobials.

Source: Frontiers in Veterinary Science

DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1963471