Indigenous and Cross-Border Eco-Health
Implications of Unethical Injectable Antimicrobial Drugs Administration under Bovine Livestock Farming and Commercial Conditions

Adenike A.O. Ogunshe; Abiodun A. Adeola; Rahamon A.M. Adedokun; Afusat T. Jagun-Jubril

Abstract

Indigenous and Cross-Border Eco-Health Implications of Unethical Injectable Antimicrobial Drugs Administration under Bovine Livestock Farming and Commercial Conditions

Background: Nomadic cattle-rearing in Nigeria has been inferred to have livestock– wildlife interface; whereas, animal trade plays an important role in the spread of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance in animal and human populations.
Objective: To assess and highlight the communal, national, and international trans-boundary-public-Eco-health implications of drug-injection malpractices during livestock-farming and livestock-trading in Nigeria, and the associated trans-boundary One Health interventions.
Study-populations and methods: Study was limited to the Southwest Nigeria, where the indigenous (nomadic) cattle-farmers could be interviewed under nonhostile and safer conditions. However, two of the nomads had travelled up to about 26 out of the 37 states of the country. Verbal informed-consents were obtained from six cattle-farmers and twelve cattle-traders, at six major cattle-farmsettlements and six cattle-markets, and eight veterinary doctors / three animal husbandmen, followed by informal oral interviews, questionnaire-administration and telephone-conversations. Relevant information were transcribed and analysed as textural data.
Results: Cattle-farmers and traders mostly dosed presumably healthy-cattle with vitamins and iron drugs, while ill-cattle were injected with iron-dextran, oxytetracycline, penstrep, ofloxacin, chloramphenicol, tylosin, ivermectin, diminazene aceturate, izonicid, colistin, etc. Clinical implications and associated adverse public health significance of expiry dates and improper storage of medications; non-combination of different medications in the same containers or syringes; microbial contamination of administered medications by previously used needle and syringe or left-over medications; administration of adulterated or expired injection-drugs under veterinary conditions; as well as, zoonotic-infections, antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial residues in food-animals, were not comprehended by the cattle-farmers and cattle-traders. Cattle-farmers and cattle-traders in Nigeria unethically inject their cattle with prescription veterinarymedications, especially antibiotics and antiparasitics, reportedly due to, lack of subsidy and non-compensation by governments, in cases of cattle morbidity and mortality; shortage of animal health professionals, due to nomadic-cattle-farming, and cattle-farmers’ occasional refusal to pay for rendered veterinary services.
Conclusion: Antimicrobial-injections-in-livestock-health, due to unprofessional injection administration by cattle-farmers and cattle-traders, with significant clinical-public health implications on eco-health and cross-border health, were recorded, and must be addressed through appropriate implementable policies.