Antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance awareness: A survey of ruminant and poultry Farming practices in Tunisia

Antibiotic resistance (AMR) has become a major threat to human public health. The overuse and/ misuse of antibiotics in food-producing animals is a potentially key factor contributing to the transmission of AMR among humans. This study was set up to describe the antibiotic use patterns of ruminant and poultry farmers in Tunisia, to understand the reasons for their antibiotic use decisions and to assess their awareness of the risk of antibiotic misuse in the development of resistance. A structured, anonymous questionnaire consisting of 12 questions divided into four main sections was conducted face-to-face by 11 veterinarians with 110 chicken and ruminant farmers across three Governorates—Sousse, Mahdia, and Monastir—in the Sahel region of Tunisia. Statistical analysis was performed on the collected data. Findings revealed a significant proportion of farmers (90%) lacked a livestock register to ensure traceability of animal care and medication. Alarmingly, 92.7% of the farmers administered antibiotics through self-medication without veterinary prescriptions. Digestive diseases (88.2%) were the most commonly treated, followed by foot diseases (60%), mammary diseases (60%), and respiratory diseases (41.8%). The analysis revealed that high treatment costs (p = 0.005) and the ease of obtaining antibiotics from local pharmacies (p = 0.016) significantly contributed to the prevalence of self-medication practices. Inappropriate use of antibiotics was widespread, with 62.7% of farmers not adhering to the prescribed treatment duration and 82.7% stopping treatment prematurely after symptoms had disappeared. In addition, 61.8% of farmers did not respect the withdrawal period for antibiotics. Critically, 94.5% of respondents were unaware of the dangers of inappropriate antibiotic use and only 5.5% of farmers had received training in good husbandry practices. These findings highlight the urgent need to improve farmers' antibiotic knowledge and practices. Implementing strong training programs, enforcing veterinary surveillance, and promoting responsible antibiotic use are essential to reduce the risk of AMR and protect both animal and public health in Tunisia.