Jeroen Dewulf

• PhD, MsC, Dipl ECVPH
• Professor (Full) at Ghent University

Between 2006 and 2010, northwestern Europe experienced its first significant bluetongue virus (BTV) outbreak, driven by the spread of BTV-8, which had major repercussions on the European livestock sector. While BTV-3 was first identified in Europe in Italy in 2017, a new introduction of the virus was reported in 2023, in the Netherlands, and subseq...

The presence of flies and beetles in pig farms is common and raises concerns about their potential role in pathogen transmission. These concerns become even more significant when live insect larvae are used as animal feed. If not fully consumed by pigs, the larvae may remain on the farm, develop into adults, and thereby pose health risks. In order...

Pakistan has a large, intensive broiler production industry, where antimicrobials are extensively used for both therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Monitoring antimicrobial use (AMU) at the farm level is crucial to guide interventions for antimicrobial stewardship. The objective of this study was to comprehensively quantify AMU on commercial bro...

Aims The world experienced a huge number of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in birds, which could represent one of the largest registered epidemics of infectious disease in food‐producing animals. Therefore, mammals, including humans, are continuously exposed to HPAI viruses leading to sporadic and sometimes unusual mammal inf...

Simple Summary Effective communication between farmers and veterinarians enables the careful assessment of biosecurity aspects, often leading to mutual agreement over on-farm changes. Coaching is a learner-driven process in which the coach is not simply providing advice or direction but rather enabling the learner to identify a goal and find soluti...

To explore potential factors contributing to high fluoroquinolone resistance levels, it is essential to develop analytical methods capable of detecting residues and trace amounts of antibiotic use in broilers. The aim of the present study was to develop and in-house validate a sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS method capable of determining enrofloxacin (ENR) a...

Background Biosecurity measures play a pivotal role in minimizing the risk of introducing and spreading infectious agents. Within internal biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection (C&D) procedures hold significant importance. The current study aims to assess the implementation of C&D procedures on pig farms in Europe and identify any potential gaps....

The poster describes the applicable methods for monitoring the effectiveness of the Cleaning and Disinfection (C&D) procedures in animal houses.

Simple Summary Simple Summary: The prevention of the spread of poultry diseases within and among farms largely depends on the adoption of good biosecurity practices. Through the process of profiling European poultry producers, we were able to identify the particular aspects that influence the adoption of biosecurity practices. The results suggest a...

This pioneering study is prompted by the imperative to enhance our understanding of a constituent within Ukraine's rabies control strategy, specifically focusing on the vaccination of free-roaming canines against rabies with a local vaccine in certain endemic rabies areas. The cross-sectional study encompassed the capture, sterilization, deworming,...

Background Colistin serves as the last line of defense against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections in both human and veterinary medicine. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence and spread of colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (ColR-E) using a One Health approach in Belgium and in the Netherlands. Methods In a transnatio...

Simple Summary Biosecurity measures play a pivotal role in minimizing the risk of introducing and spreading infectious agents. Within external and especially internal biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection (C&D) procedures play an important role. The current study aimed to assess the implementation of C&D procedures on pig farms in Europe during 20...

Background Day care centres (DCCs) are ideal settings for drug-resistant bacteria to emerge. Prevalence numbers of faecal carriage of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in these settings are rare. We aimed to determine the prevalence of faecal antimicrobial resistant bacteria carriage in children attending DCCs and to assess and identify infection ri...

Simple Summary Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) is a poorly understood, sporadic and often fatal disease in cattle. Although HBS is considered an important disease in dairy cattle, studies about the occurrence and the distribution of this disease in the population (epidemiology) are lacking. This study describes the epidemiology of HBS in Belgium a...

Simple Summary Farm biosecurity is crucial for preventing infections and maintaining animal health. The present study assessed biosecurity practices on dairy farms in Punjab, India, using a standardized scoring system. The study found that the mean external and internal biosecurity scores for the selected dairy farms were 45.4% and 43.7%, respectiv...

Simple Summary Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide problem that requires innovation on various fronts. In a traditional broiler hatchery system, hatched chicks remain in the incubator for between 24 and 48 h, after which the chicks are transported to poultry farms. During this period (up to 72 h), the chicks have no access to feed or water and...

Wild animals and pests are important reservoirs and vectors of pathogens that can affect domestic pigs. Rapid globalization, anthropogenic factors, and increasing trends toward outdoor pig production facilitate the contact between domestic pigs and wildlife. Objective: To analyze information on the roles of wild animal species and pests in the spr...

To develop a risk-based weighted scoring system to evaluate biosecurity levels in backyard poultry households in developing countries, as well as to describe its use in Bangladesh.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern, posing risks to human and animal health. This research quantified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in E. coli isolates from poultry fecal and environmental samples in Bangladesh and explored their association with antimicrobial use (AMU). We screened 725 fecal and 250 environmental samples from 94 convent...

Compliance with required on-farm biosecurity practices reduces the risk of contamination and spread of zoonotic and economically important diseases. With repeating avian influenza epidemics in the poultry industry, the need to monitor and improve the overall level of biosecurity is increasing. In practice, biosecurity compliance is assessed by vari...

Antimicrobial use (AMU) is a major contributing factor to the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in human and animals. To control AMR, indiscriminate antibiotic use needs to be restricted, preventive measures such as biosecurity must be prioritized and proper action plans must be implemented. This study aimed to quantify and associate...

Simple Summary The processes of globalization, human activities, and the growing popularity of outdoor ecological pork production contribute to increased interactions between domestic pigs and wildlife. Wild animals and pests can carry harmful pathogens that pose a threat to domestic pigs, resulting in economic losses at the local, national, and gl...

Broiler chickens are among the main livestock sectors worldwide. With individual treatments being inapplicable, contrary to many other animal species, the need for antimicrobial use (AMU) is relatively high. AMU in animals is known to drive the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). High farm biosecurity is a cornerstone for animal...

Limited and judicious antimicrobial usage (AMU) is considered the key to saving the success of human and veterinary medicine in treating infections. With the limited alternatives for antimicrobials, farm biosecurity (and herd management) is considered a promising tool to mitigate the non-judicious AMU and to maintain animal health, production, and...

When crops are cultivated on fields fertilized with animal manure, the risk exists that plants may take up antibiotic residues and may be exposed to antibiotic resistance genes and antibiotic resistant bacteria. During cultivation in a greenhouse pot experiment, leek (Allium porrum) was fertilized with either pig slurry or mineral fertilizer and ex...

For internal biosecurity, it is important to separate different age groups in a pig farm and to stick to specific working lines when visiting the barns. Currently, there is no research on the movements of farm staff on pig farms. The objectives of this observational study were to assess movements of farm staff on pig farms, to assess risky movement...

Background The increasing number of infections caused by Escherichia coli resistant to clinically important antibiotics is a global concern for human and animal health. High overall levels of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and ciprofloxacin-resistant (ciproR) Escherichia coli in livestock are reported in Belgium. This cross-secti...

Biosecurity measures are the key component to minimize the risk of the introduction and spread of infectious agents. Cleaning and disinfection (C&D) procedures are a crucial component of internal biosecurity. The objectives of the present study were to quantify the application of C&D procedures on pig farms in Europe and to identify potential gaps.

Introduction Biosecurity measures are the key component to minimize the risk of the introduction and spread of infectious agents. Cleaning and disinfection (C&D) procedures are a crucial component of internal biosecurity. The objectives of the present study were to quantify the application of C&D procedures on pig farms in Europe and to identify po...

Limited and judicious antimicrobial usage (AMU) remains key to retain the efficacy of human and veterinary medicine. Presented with limited alternatives for antimicrobials, farm biosecurity is considered a promising tool to mitigate the non-judicious AMU. This scoping review aims to analyse the associations between farm biosecurity and AMU in lives...

Background Despite the common use of oral group treatment in pig rearing, the magnitude of the factors influencing the homogeneity and stability of antimicrobial drugs in medicated feed and medicated drinking water are largely unknown, as well as the residual concentrations of the drugs after the end of the treatment. Results This study presents a...

Broiler chickens are among the main livestock sectors worldwide. With individual treatments being inapplicable, contrary to many other animal species, the need for antimicrobial use (AMU) is relatively high. AMU in animals is known to drive the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). High farm biosecurity is a cornerstone for animal...

Background A tool, the Infection Risk Scan has been developed to measure the quality of infection control and antimicrobial use. This tool measures various patient-, ward- and care-related variables in a standardized way. We describe the implementation of this tool in nine hospitals in the Dutch/Belgian border area and the obtained results. Method...

For internal biosecurity, it is important to separate different age groups in a pig farm and to stick to specific working lines when visiting the barns. Currently, there is no research on the movements of farm staff on pig farms. The objectives of this observational study were to assess movements of farm staff on pig farms, to assess risky movement...

Antibioticabeleid is een essentiële stap in de beperking van de selectie van antibioticaresistentie. In deze studie wordt de evaluatie van 122 laatstejaarsstudenten Diergeneeskunde van de Universiteit Gent (UGent) en de Universiteit Luik (ULuik) weergegeven met betrekking tot de perceptie van het voorbereid zijn, de kwaliteit van het onderwijs en d...

Pigs are susceptible to a wide range of diseases that can affect health, welfare and productivity. The implementation of biosecurity measures along the production chain is one of the major solutions to minimize the risk of introduction of diseases into a farm (external biosecurity), as well as their spread within the farm (internal biosecurity). In...

The goal of this study is to describe the current use of antibiotics in the European pig industry based on an extensive literature review. To achieve this, an overview of results from national (n = 15) and multi-country (n = 2) cross-sectional and longitudinal (n = 2) surveys, which describe antimicrobial use in pigs, is presented. Results are furt...

Objectives To describe the susceptibility of Escherichia coli to medically important antibiotics, collected over four periods (2004–2006, 2008–2009, 2013–2014, 2017–2018), from food-producing animals at slaughter. Methods Intestinal contents from cattle, pigs and broilers were randomly sampled (5–6 countries/host; ≥4 abattoirs/country; one sample/...

Major efforts have been made by veterinary professionals to reduce the need for antibiotic use in animals. An online survey launched by the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) aimed to gather responses from practicing veterinarians with field experience in metaphylactic livestock group treatment. Only 17% of all veterinarians (n = 183/1087,...

SYNOPSIS Background Inpatient quality indicators (IQIs) were previously developed to assess responsible antibiotic use. The aim of this study was the practice testing of these QIs in the hospital setting. Method This study was performed within a Dutch-Belgian border network of hospitals implementing the Infection Risk Scan (IRIS) point prevalence...

Simple Summary Partial depopulation is often used in broiler production to optimize the use of the farm space and rear a larger number of broilers. However, it may increase the risk for the introduction of Campylobacter spp. in the poultry house. A simulation was performed to evaluate the production consequences of a Belgian poultry house performin...

Simple Summary Reduced and responsible antimicrobial use leads to a lower risk of developing antimicrobial resistance. One way to achieve this is to raise animals without antibiotics (RWA). This study described the criteria for a Belgian RWA program for pigs and evaluated whether farms could achieve and maintain this status. The study also identifi...

Waar komen afgestudeerde dierenartsen terecht? Detectie van glutenallergie bij het paard

Anorexie en ileus zijn frequent voorkomende postoperatieve complicaties bij konijnen en zijn potentieel fataal. Risicofactoren, zoals stress en pijn, moeten zoveel mogelijk beperkt of vermeden worden. Om risicofactoren rondom het anesthesieprotocol bij orchidectomie en ovario(hyster)- ectomie (OV(H)X) beter in beeld te brengen, werd een enquête ron...

In this Opinion, the antimicrobial-resistant bacteria responsible for transmissible diseases that constitute a threat to the health of certain kept fish species have been assessed. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), carp (Cyprinus spp.), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), sea bream (Sparus aurata) and tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), selected as represent...

Antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes can enter the environment via fertilization with calf and pig manure. In a longitudinal study, nine antibiotic resistance genes (tet(B), tet(L), tet(M), tet(O), tet(Q), tet(W), erm(B), erm(F) and sul2) and 56 antibiotic residues were investigated in 288 soil samples and 8 corresponding slurry samp...

Objectives The occurrence and zoonotic potential of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pigs and broilers has been studied intensively in past decades. Here, we describe AMR levels of European pig and broiler farms and determine the potential risk factors. Methods We collected faeces from 181 pig farms and 181 broiler farms in nine European countrie...

Background High‐power laser therapy gained popularity recently as a regenerative treatment for tendinitis and desmitis in the horse. However, studies evaluating the effects of laser therapy on tissue repair at the histological level in large mammals are lacking. Objectives To evaluate the effects of high‐power laser therapy on suspensory desmitis...

Abstract In this opinion, the antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria responsible for transmissible diseases that constitute a threat to the health of pigs have been assessed. The assessment has been performed following a methodology based on information collected by an extensive literature review and expert judgement. Details of the methodology used for...

Abstract In this opinion, the antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria responsible for transmissible diseases that constitute a threat to poultry health have been assessed. The assessment has been performed following a methodology based on information collected by an extensive literature review and expert judgement. Details of the methodology used for this...

Abstract In this opinion, the antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria responsible for transmissible diseases that constitute a threat to the health of horses have been assessed. The assessment has been performed following a methodology composed of information collected via an extensive literature review and expert judgement. Details on the methodology use...

Abstract In this opinion, the antimicrobial‐resistant bacteria responsible for transmissible diseases that constitute a threat to the health of farmed rabbits have been assessed. The assessment has been performed following a methodology based on information collected through an extensive literature review and expert judgement. Details of the method...

In this opinion, the antimicrobial resistant bacteria responsible for transmissible diseases that constitute a threat to the health of cattle have been assessed. The assessment has been performed following a methodology based on information collected by an extensive literature review and expert judgement. Details of the methodology used for this as...

In this opinion, the antimicrobial-resistant bacteria responsible for transmissible diseases that constitute a threat to the health of sheep and goats have been assessed. The assessment has been performed following a methodology based on information collected by an extensive literature review and expert judgement. Details of the methodology used fo...

Background The breeding population is very important in pig herds, for productivity, health and profitability. Replacement of breeding animals can be accomplished by own rearing of breeding gilts or by purchasing them. Purchasing breeding gilts is a hazardous event in terms of biosecurity and introduction of pathogens into a farm. However, in liter...

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest health threats globally. In addition, the use of antimicrobial drugs in humans and livestock is considered an important driver of antimicrobial resistance. The commensal microbiota, and especially the intestinal microbiota, has been shown to have an important role in the emergenc...

Optimal intestinal health is a prerequisite for sustainable poultry production. Intestinal health can be evaluated by scoring macroscopic intestinal abnormalities and by histological measurements. The aim of this study was to evaluate correlations between macroscopic gut appearance scoring (GAS), coccidiosis lesion scoring, histological measurement...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens our public health and is mainly driven by antimicrobial usage (AMU). For this reason the World Health Organization calls for detailed monitoring of AMU over all animal sectors involved. Therefore, we aimed to quantify AMU on turkey farms. First, turkey-specific Defined Daily Dose (DDDturkey) was determined....

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens our public health and is mainly driven by antimicrobial usage (AMU). For this reason the World Health Organization calls for detailed monitoring of AMU over all animal sectors involved. Therefore, we aimed to quantify AMU on turkey farms. First, turkey-specific Defined Daily Dose (DDDturkey) was determined....

Food-producing animals are an important reservoir and potential source of transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to humans. However, research on AMR in turkey farms is limited. This study aimed to identify risk factors for AMR in turkey farms in three European countries (Germany, France, and Spain). Between 2014 and 2016, faecal samples, an...

A reduction in antimicrobial use (AMU) is needed to curb the increase in antimicrobial resistance in broiler production. Improvements in biosecurity can contribute to a lower incidence of disease and thereby lower the need for AMU. However, veterinary advice related to AMU reduction or biosecurity is often not complied with, and this has been linke...

Antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues can enter the environment when using animal manure as fertilizer. Twenty-five mixed beef cattle farmyard manure samples and 9 mixed fattening calf slurry samples from different farms across Belgium were investigated for the presence of 69 antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistant Escherichia col...

Antimicrobial stewardship guidelines (ASGs) represent an important tool to help veterinarians optimize their antimicrobial use with the objective of decreasing antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to map and qualitatively assess the ASGs for antimicrobial use in cats and dogs in Europe. Country representatives of the European Network...

Since the introduction in Georgia in 2007 of an African swine fever (ASF) genotype 2 virus strain, the virus has rapidly spread to both Western European and Asian countries. It now constitutes a major threat for the global swine industry. The ongoing European transmission cycle has been related to the ‘wild boar habitat’ with closed transmission ev...

Biosecurity seems to be the most promising tool for Campylobacter control on poultry farms. A longitudinal molecular epidemiological study was performed during two production cycles, in which the broilers, the poultry house, and the environment of 10 (mixed) broiler farms were monitored weekly. Cecal droppings from the second production cycle were...

Antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary practice and animal production is important from a One Health perspective. The ADKAR® change management model is a well-known strategy to implement behavioral change in people and small businesses. The objective of this study was to adapt the existing ADKAR® change management model to enable herd veterinarian...

Gebruik van Lincomycine tegen rattenplaag?

Data on antimicrobial use (AMU) in heavy pig production (>150 kg) are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the AMU in this production. Data from 2015 were collected for 143 fattening farms. The AMU was estimated through a treatment index per 100 days (TI100) using the defined daily dose animal for Italy (DDDAit). When possible, a compa...

The importance of biosecurity as a strategy to prevent and control infectious diseases has increased substantially over the last few decades. Several studies have reported a low implementation level of biosecurity measures (BSM), particularly in cattle farms. In addition, a recent study demonstrated that cattle farmers are well aware of the recomme...

Poultry is seen as the main reservoir for Campylobacter. Control of this zoonotic pathogen in primary production could potentially reduce the colonization in broiler flocks and consequently reduce the number of human infections. In the present study, 20 broiler flocks from ten farms, were sampled immediately before and five to seven days after part...

Since European maximum guidance values of mycotoxins are only available for feed, mycotoxin exposure in animals is mainly monitored by feed analysis. However, proper sample collection is needed to ensure reliable results, because of uneven distributions and disproportional spread of mycotoxins in feed which can hamper the evaluation of mycotoxin ex...

As antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide problem, threatening both livestock and public health, understanding the drivers for resistance in different settings and countries is essential. Therefore, 30 pig and 30 poultry farms with country-specific high antimicrobial use (AMU) were recruited in the Belgian–Dutch border region. Information regardin...

Background Livestock farms are a reservoir of antimicrobial resistant bacteria from feces. Airborne dust-bound bacteria can spread across the barn and to the outdoor environment. Therefore, exposure to farm dust may be of concern for animals, farmers and neighboring residents. Although dust is a potential route of transmission, little is known abou...

Background: Brachyspira infections are causing major losses to the pig industry and lead to high antimicrobial use. Treatment of Brachyspira (B.) hyodysenteriae infections may be problematic due to the high level of antimicrobial resistance. The present study implemented and evaluated farm-specific eradication programmes for B. hyodysenteriae in 1...