Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Livestock Farmers Regarding Antimicrobial Use, Resistance, and Residues in Selected Zones of Southwest Oromia, Ethiopia

The inappropriate use of antimicrobials in food animals is a significant factor to the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance and residues, which become a critical health concern in developing countries such as Ethiopia. This research aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) status of livestock farmers with respect to antimicrobial use (AMU), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antimicrobial residues. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 to June 2023. We determined the KAP of livestock farmers of the two selected zones of southwestern Oromia (n = 570). The KAP of livestock farmers was assessed using a pre-tested questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. Eighteen items were used to assess livestock farmers' KAP. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between different predictor variables and the KAP scores of the participants. The result showed that 55.5% were from Buno Bedele zone and 44.5% were from Ilubabor zone. The results showed that 78% of farmers used antimicrobials in the last six months. Antibiotics (64%) and anthelminthic (36%) were the most widely used antimicrobials to treat livestock diseases. Most farmers (79.5%) lacked knowledge about AMU, AMR and antimicrobial residue, while 84.3% had a negative attitude about AMU, AMR and antimicrobial residue. Similarly, 78.0% of the livestock farmers were found to be practicing improperly about AMU, AMR and antimicrobial residue. All questions designed to assess the KAP of livestock farmers were significantly associated (P < 0.05) with each respective category of KAP. The educational status (OR = 0.38) of livestock farmers was negatively correlated with all their knowledge, attitude, and practice of AMU, AMR and antimicrobial residue. The sex (OR = 3.49) and the experience in animal rearing (OR = 2.21) are positively correlated with their knowledge and practices regarding AMU, AMR and antimicrobial residues. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that farmers in the study area have poor knowledge, negative attitudes, and bad practices about AMU, AMR, and antimicrobial residues. Hence, it is crucial to raise farmer’s awareness, which will help to reduce the irrational use of antimicrobials, leading to reducing the chances of occurrence of AMR.