European Antibiotic Awareness Day received the support of Zoetis this week with an initiative to encourage prudent antibiotic use in humans and animals.

Under the slogan, “as little as possible, as much as necessary”, Zoetis wants to communicate a message of responsibility to health professionals.

They are a “precious resource”, said Zoetis executive vice president Alejandro Bernal.

On the importance of responsible use for the future, he said: “By using them responsibly today, we will work to help protect their efficacy tomorrow.

“Veterinarians have a duty to protect the health and welfare of livestock, so that when animals get sick they need to be treated. This is why we are working with vets to ensure that they use antibiotics as little as possible but as much as necessary.

Jeff Watts, Director, Antimicrobial Research at Zoetis, said: “As long as bacteria exist, we will continue to face challenges of bacterial infectious diseases, in both humans and animals.”

What constitutes responsible use means selecting the most appropriate antibiotic, says Zoetis, alongside a range of other instructions, including:

• timely treatment with the correct dose
• the most effective way to administer the drug
• the correct length of treatment
• the correct period of post-treatment withdrawal