Consumption of veterinary antimicrobials in food-producing animal species in Finland is low and in recent
years, has decreased further. Drop is noted in sales of almost all antimicrobial classes. Particularly sales of
orally administered products have decreased. Sales of tablets intended to companion animals has almost
halved during this decade. Majority, two thirds, of all antimicrobial products sold in 2018 was for treatment
of individual animals and the remaining third products applicable for group treatment. Narrow spectrum
penicillin G was the most used antimicrobial for animals and the proportion of highest priority critically
important antimicrobials (HPCIA) was very low.
The antimicrobial resistance situation in bacteria from animals and food has remained relatively good in
Finland. However, in certain bacteria resistance was detected in moderate or high levels. Therefore, there is
a need to further emphasise the preventive measures and prudent use of antimicrobials. It is important to
follow the Finnish recommendations for the use of antimicrobials in animals.
Among salmonella and campylobacter isolated from Finnish food-producing animals, resistance levels
were mainly low. For the first time in Finland, multidrug resistant S. Kentucky was isolated from cattle in
2018. From 2014, the occurrence of fluoroquinolone and tetracycline resistance in campylobacter from
broilers have varied. The occurrence of fluoroquinolone resistance in indicator E. coli has increased
although the resistance is still low. Among pathogenic bacteria isolated from food-producing animals the
most notifiable change was the worsening of resistance in some bovine respiratory disease pathogens.
In other pathogens from food-producing animals the resistance situation remained similar as in previous
years.
The proportion of resistant bacterial isolates from companion animals and horses decreased for nearly all
antimicrobials. However, the proportion of resistant isolates is still high for some antimicrobials.
ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria were still encountered in broilers and broiler meat; prevalence of these
bacteria in broiler meat was somewhat lower in 2018 compared to 2016
