Press Release

Antimicrobials in South Africa’s poultry sector stringently monitored, says V-Tech

As poultry becomes one of the world’s fastest growing sources of meat, with the poultry industry supplying 1 884 690 tons of poultry meat and 464 051 tons of hen eggs and egg product in South Africa alone according to the South African Poultry Association, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure the health of poultry destined for the table. An important aspect of this is the stringent monitoring of antimicrobials in food sources.

This is the view of V-Tech, one of South Africa’s leading providers of integrated pharmacy solutions to the animal health industry, which has for the past eight years monitored and promoted the responsible use of antimicrobials in the local poultry industry. It is the only company in South Africa to offer extensive monitoring of this nature.

“Currently the industry can produce a broiler chicken ready for the market under five weeks. This is thanks to genetic selection, improved feeding and enhanced health management practices, often involving the use of antimicrobials as therapeutic agents to treat bacterial diseases in intensive farming practices. These antibiotics can be used either in feed or in water,” explains Johan Oosthuyse, CEO of V-Tech.

“While there has been an increase in bacterial resistance as a result of the need to use the anti-bacterial medicines, with antimicrobial resistance – or AMR – becoming an international concern due to the increase in trends of resistance patterns, most developed countries have put plans in place to manage this. In South Africa, V-Tech has developed the V-Tech Actif ™ plan in response to concerns about the impact on the health of both people and animals.”

He believes that AMR is a reality for both human and animal health and one that needs to be taken seriously.

“Since pathogens have no limit to their boundaries, South Africa is expected to play an important role in the fight against AMR. Veterinarians and other health officials, together with companies like V-Tech, need to work together towards achieving the strategic objectives set out in the AMR strategy framework. Globally it’s a major concern that antibiotic resistance by organisms are increasing and may limit the availability of effective antibiotics in human medicine in the future.”

The V-Tech Actif™ Plan

The plan comprises three critical steps to assist in the management of antimicrobial use in southern Africa:

1. Specific: Once a bacterial disease is diagnosed by a veterinarian, V-Tech requires the submission of swabs from the areas of infection. In order to ascertain the bacterial cause of the infection, a swab is submitted to a laboratory for culture. Once cultured, the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for various antimicrobials is determined. These results are of critical importance as they assist the veterinarian and their client in determining the correct antimicrobial to use, to ensure that it is cost effective yet specifically targeted against the cultured bacteria. To ensure the correct use of an antibiotic, the guiding principles for prudent use of antimicrobials are applied and verified

on all farm operations raising food animals. It is imperative once the drug of choice is selected, to ensure that the withdrawal period of the product is adhered to and only included for treatment in the stage of the production cycle that will allow enough time for withdrawal before slaughter. This is to ensure that there are no residues of the antimicrobial present in the final product that is marketed to the consumer and that the meat is safe for consumption.

2. Effective: Once the choice of medication is made an entire monitoring programme is implemented. In the case of feed mediation, feed samples are analysed to confirm that the birds are treated at the prescribed level. This enables monitoring of correct inclusion levels, and to ensure that the medication is included in the correct ration. The results are monitored very closely and any discrepancies are immediately discussed with the consulting veterinarian, the poultry producer and the feed mill. The same applies to water medication. The dosage is of critical importance, since incorrect dosing can possibly perpetuate the problem of resistance in poultry, or a treatment that is ineffective for the diagnosed condition. Other problems could also arise in production parameters which could have a detrimental effect on the commercial enterprise. The next step in the monitoring programme is the determination of serum levels of birds that are under medication to ensure that the medication reaches effective levels as determined in the MIC of the selected drug. This is crucial to ensure that the therapy is effective. Levels that are too low would not be effective and could promote the faster development of resistant bacteria.

3. Safe: The last step in the Actif™ Plan is the screening of the final animal protein product for any antibiotic residue. This requires the involvement of the client, abattoirs and V-Tech. Residue monitoring is critical to ensure consumer safety and has been established as standard operating practice. At the abattoirs samples are taken from the liver and muscle for residue testing at a local accredited laboratory and must comply with Maximal Residue Levels (MRL), which are published in the Government Gazette and are compliant with the Codex Alimentarius, an organisation set up by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). These MRLs were determined from extensive research, to protect the consumer and ensure safe food standards.

Oosthuyse concluded by reiterating the importance of the management of antimicrobials through a testing and screening plan like V-Tech Actif™ to ensure that food safety standards are adhered to throughout Southern Africa, especially in the poultry industry where broilers tend to be more susceptible to bacterial infections; and in turn, that the consumer is protected against bacterial contamination through the consumption of these animal products, seeing as consumption figures per capita have been increasing year-on-year as a result of poultry being one of the most affordable protein sources in Africa.

- ENDS –

Issued and released by: Keyter Rech Investor SolutionsDeborah Chapman 087 351 3816 / 076 650 4155

Issue date: 23 June 2015

Website: www.vtech.co.za

Note for the Editors

About V-Tech

Established in 2003, V-tech (Pty) Ltd, situated in Midrand, South Africa, offers comprehensive solution packages that combine the advice of specialist pharmacists with intrinsic compounding knowledge into specific treatment regimes. The company exclusively offers compounding services to prescribing veterinarians and medical practitioners, registered with their relevant councils in South Africa.

This unique compounding service is often combined with professional advice on the correct use of medication, available formulations and dosages. In the case of food-producing animals veterinarians may be advised on a suitable withdrawal time for the medication in question, preventing the risk of residue in the animal protein produced for human consumption.

The acquisition of Healthtech Laboratories (Pty) Ltd in 2012 gave V-Tech access to a range of product registrations, brands and international clients.

Healthtech Laboratories was established in 1990. Through strategic alliances with local and international organisations, the company grew organically and expanded its product base to include products for human and animal use. The company is currently involved in projects ranging from animal nutrition through to consumer health products and biosecurity. This diverse scientific interest allows Healthtech Laboratories access to a rich pool of knowledge and expertise to develop first-rate products.