Methods For Assessing Antibiotic Usage In Swine Farms And A Computer-Readable Recording Medium Recording A Program For Performing The Same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm and a computer-readable recording medium having a program for performing the same. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm and a computer-readable recording medium having a program for performing the same, comprising: a data collection step in which pig farm data including the concentration of antibiotics added to feed, the duration of antibiotic use, the frequency of antibiotic use, the daily feed intake of pigs, the average weight of pigs, and the number of pigs is collected for a single pig farm; a usage calculation step in which the amount of antibiotics used on pigs within a single pig farm is calculated using the pig farm data; and a usage evaluation step in which the amount of antibiotics used on pigs within a single pig farm is evaluated by comparing the amount of antibiotics with a preset reference value.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm and a computer-readable recording medium having a program for performing the same. Background Technology

[0002] Antibiotic resistance refers to drug resistance in which microorganisms do not respond to antibiotics and can survive even when exposed to them. In other words, antibiotic resistance is a condition where treatment becomes ineffective despite the administration of antibiotics when a disease occurs; it is emerging as a serious public health issue, with millions of deaths worldwide attributed to antibiotic resistance.

[0003] The primary causes of antibiotic resistance are the abuse and misuse of antibiotics. For example, antibiotics used in pig farms can spread through various routes, such as pig feces and airborne transmission, and antibiotic resistance can simultaneously be transmitted directly or indirectly to various environments and humans. Therefore, it is crucial to verify whether antibiotic use is appropriate in the environment.

[0004] Recently in Europe, the European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) project has been calculating and managing Defined Daily Doses for animals (DDDvet) to evaluate antibiotic usage in livestock farms. However, since DDDvet is based on national antibiotic sales data, it has limitations in individually evaluating antibiotic usage by livestock farm and fails to reflect the actual amount of antibiotics administered to livestock or information on the antibiotics used at individual farms. Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for technology capable of evaluating and monitoring antibiotic usage at individual livestock farms, such as pig farms. Prior art literature

[0005] Republic of Korea Published Patent Application No. 10-2021-0019678 Republic of Korea Registered Patent Application No. 10-1824640 The problem to be solved

[0006] The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned problems by providing a method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm that enables the evaluation and monitoring of antibiotic usage in individual pig farms, and a computer-readable recording medium having a program for performing the same.

[0007] The technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned technical problems can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the present invention. means of solving the problem

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm according to the present invention comprises: a data collection step in which pig farm data including the concentration of antibiotics added to feed, the duration of antibiotic use, the frequency of antibiotic use, the daily feed intake of pigs, the average weight of pigs, and the number of pigs is collected for a pig farm by at least one processor; a usage calculation step in which the amount of antibiotics used for pigs in a pig farm is calculated by utilizing the pig farm data by at least one processor; and a usage evaluation step in which the amount of antibiotics used for pigs in a pig farm is evaluated by comparing the amount of antibiotics with a preset reference value by at least one processor.

[0009] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for performing a method to evaluate the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm. Effects of the invention

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, pig farm data for a single pig farm is utilized to calculate and evaluate the amount of antibiotics used on pigs within the pig farm, thereby enabling the management of the appropriateness of antibiotics used in a single pig farm.

[0011] In addition, the present invention can be used as basic data for national antibiotic resistance management measures, comparison of antibiotic usage by pig farm, region, and country, and analysis of usage patterns.

[0012] In addition, the present invention provides visual evaluation results regarding the amount of antibiotics used on pigs in a pig farm, allowing pig farmers to monitor the usage through a user terminal and thereby reconsidering their awareness of antibiotic use.

[0013] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the detailed description and claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0014] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a drawing showing pig farm data according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a drawing showing an evaluation result graph according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0015] The terms used in this specification have been selected based on currently widely used general terms whenever possible, taking into account their functions in the present invention; however, these terms may vary depending on the intent of those skilled in the art, case law, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Additionally, in specific cases, terms have been arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the relevant description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this invention should be defined not merely by their names, but based on their meanings and the overall content of the invention.

[0016] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application. Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] First, the present invention includes a computer-readable recording medium (120) on which a program for performing an antibiotic usage evaluation method used in a pig farm is recorded. The recording medium (120) may be, for example, a CD, DVD, hard disk, Blu-ray disk, USB, memory card, ROM, SSD, etc. And the antibiotic usage evaluation method used in a pig farm according to the present invention may be implemented by at least one processor (110) in a computer device (100) reading the recording medium (120).

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, the method for evaluating the amount of antibiotic used in a pig farm according to the present invention includes a data collection step (S100) in which pig farm data including the concentration of antibiotic added to feed, the duration of antibiotic use, the frequency of antibiotic use, the daily feed intake of pigs, the average weight of pigs, and the number of pigs is collected by at least one processor (110); a usage calculation step (S200) in which the amount of antibiotic used for pigs in a pig farm is calculated by using the pig farm data by at least one processor (110); and a usage evaluation step (S300) in which the amount of antibiotic used for pigs in a pig farm is evaluated by comparing the amount of antibiotic with a preset reference value by at least one processor (110).

[0019] First, the data collection step (S100) may target multiple pig farms and collect pig farm data for each, or multiple pig farm data may be collected for a single pig farm. For example, pig farm data 1, 2, ..., k may be collected for pig farm A, pig farm data 1, 2, ..., m may be collected for pig farm B, and pig farm data 1, 2, ..., n may be collected for pig farm X. Here, k, m, and n are positive integers.

[0020] In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the data collection step (S100) may further collect the pig farm name, pig farm ID, type of antibiotic used in the pig farm, route of antibiotic administration, and growth stage of the pig as pig farm data for a single pig farm. Here, the pig farm name and ID are for distinguishing the pig farm. The type of antibiotic used in the pig farm may include Florfenicol, Tylosin, Sulfamethoxazole, Amoxicillin, etc., and is for distinguishing the antibiotic used in a single pig farm. The route of antibiotic administration may include premixing into feed, etc., and is for confirming whether the antibiotic was administered through feed, as the amount of antibiotic used is calculated using the amount of feed fed in a single pig farm or the amount of feed consumed by the pigs in a single pig farm. The growth stages of pigs may include suckling piglets, a stage where they grow while consuming milk from the sow for 28 days (4 weeks); weaning piglets, a stage where they grow while eating feed for the next 28 days (4 weeks); growing pigs, a stage where they are raised for about 100 days (14 weeks); and finishing pigs, a stage before shipment for the next 29 days (4 weeks).

[0021] Additionally, the data collection step (S100) may collect the pig farm data in CSV, XLSX, or XLS file formats, where multiple items are included in columns and item-specific data is included in rows. At this time, the data collection step (S100) may delete data if at least one of the multiple items is a missing value.

[0022] Next, the above usage amount calculation step (S200) is characterized by the use of the following [Mathematical Formula 1] to calculate the antibiotic usage amount (A). The antibiotic usage amount (A) mentioned in the present invention is the total amount of antibiotic used on all pigs raised in the pig farm during the antibiotic usage period (EF).

[0023]

[0024] Here, C ant ε₀ is the concentration of antibiotic added to the feed (mg / kg), IR is the daily feed intake of pigs (kg / day), N is the number of pigs, EF is the duration of antibiotic use (day), and ED is the frequency of antibiotic use. Therefore, the unit of the above antibiotic usage amount (A) is milligrams (mg) or grams (g).

[0025] The antibiotic use period (EF) mentioned in the present invention refers to the number of days that feed and antibiotics are mixed and fed to pigs. For example, a pig farm may mix 5 tons or 10 tons of feed at once and feed it to pigs. The pig farm does not mix new feed until the mixed feed runs out, but feeds the previously prepared antibiotic-added feed throughout the week. Weaned piglets can consume 5 tons of feed in one week, and fattening pigs can consume 10 tons of feed in one week. In this case, if the pig farm mixes antibiotics into the feed every week, the pigs consume antibiotics for approximately 30 days based on a month, so the antibiotic use period (EF) is 30 days. Alternatively, if the pig farm mixes antibiotics into the feed every two weeks, the pigs consume antibiotics for approximately 15 days based on a month, so the antibiotic use period (EF) is 15 days. Alternatively, if a pig farm mixes antibiotics into the feed every month, the antibiotics are consumed for about 7 days based on a month, so the antibiotic use period (EF) is 7 (day).

[0026] In addition, the antibiotic use frequency (ED) is the value obtained by dividing the antibiotic use duration (EF) by the growth period according to the growth stage of the pig. For example, in the case where weaned piglets are fed antibiotic feed every 2 weeks, the antibiotic use duration (EF) of 14 days is divided by the growth period of weaned piglets, which is 28 days, i.e., the antibiotic use frequency (ED) is 0.5.

[0027] Next, the above usage evaluation step (S300) is characterized by including a unit conversion step (S310) in which the unit is converted to a Population Correction Unit (PCU) unit using the following [Mathematical Formula 2], so that the unit converted antibiotic usage amount (A') is compared with a pre-set standard value.

[0028]

[0029] Here, A is the amount of antibiotic used (mg or g) calculated from the above amount calculation step (S200), PCU is the product of the average body weight of the pig and the number of pigs (kg), and AT is the average exposure day (day) of the antibiotic, which is the average value of the antibiotic use period (EF) of the pig. Accordingly, the unit of the converted antibiotic amount (A') is milligrams per kilogram per day (mg / kg / day) or grams per kilogram per day (g / kg / day).

[0030] In comparison, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the usage evaluation step (S300) may compare the antibiotic usage amount (A') converted into units by [Equation 2] with the Defined Daily Doses for Animals (DDDvet), which is a preset reference value calculated and published through the European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC) project. In the usage evaluation step (S300), if the antibiotic usage amount (A') converted into units by [Equation 2] exceeds the preset reference value, the antibiotic usage amount used in the pig farm is evaluated as high, and if the antibiotic usage amount (A') converted into units by [Equation 2] is less than the preset reference value, the antibiotic usage amount used in the pig farm is evaluated as low.

[0031] Meanwhile, the unit conversion step (S310) is characterized by the antibiotic usage amount (A') converted to a unit using [Mathematical Formula 2] being further converted to a log scale. At this time, the pre-set reference value may be the daily dosage for animals (DDDvet) converted to a log scale and may have a value of '0'.

[0032] In comparison, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the usage evaluation step (S300) may evaluate whether the amount of antibiotic used in the pig farm is high or low, with the antibiotic usage amount (A'), further converted to a log scale, having '0' as the standard.

[0033] Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to manage the appropriateness of antibiotics used in a single pig farm. Furthermore, the present invention can be used as basic data for national antibiotic resistance management measures, comparison of antibiotic usage by farm, region, and country, and analysis of usage patterns.

[0034] Next, the present invention is characterized by further including a visualization step (S400) in which the evaluation result evaluated from the usage evaluation step (S300) is visualized according to a preset format by the at least one processor (110).

[0035] In one embodiment of FIG. 3, the visualization step (S400) may display a graph of an evaluation result in which the amount of an antibiotic called Chlortetracycline used on fattening pigs raised at pig farm C is evaluated as being used more than a preset standard value (High Usage). The visualization step (S400) may display a graph of an evaluation result in which the amount of an antibiotic called Florfenicol used on fattening pigs raised at pig farm B is evaluated as being used more than a preset standard value (High Usage).

[0036] Additionally, the visualization step (S400) may display a graph showing an evaluation result in which the amount of the antibiotic Florfenicol used on weaned piglets raised at pig farm H is evaluated as being low compared to a preset standard value. The visualization step (S400) may also display a graph showing an evaluation result in which the amount of the antibiotic Tylosin used on weaned piglets raised at pig farm F is evaluated as being low compared to a preset standard value.

[0037] Accordingly, according to the present invention, the evaluation results regarding the amount of antibiotics used on pigs in a pig farm are visually provided, so that a pig farm worker can easily monitor it through a user terminal (200) they possess, and thereby can reconsider the awareness of antibiotic use by the pig farm worker.

[0038] The embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, a hardware description language, or any combination thereof. Where implemented by software, firmware, middleware, or microcode, program code or code segments that perform the necessary tasks may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium and executed by one or more processors.

[0039] Furthermore, aspects of the subject matter described herein may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules or components executed by a computer. Generally, program modules or components include routines, programs, objects, and data structures that perform specific tasks or implement specific data types. The aspects of the subject matter described herein may be implemented in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices linked through a communication network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located on both local and remote computer storage media, including memory storage devices.

[0040] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to limited examples and drawings, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from the description above. For example, suitable results may be achieved even if the described techniques are performed in a different order than described, and / or the components of the system, structure, device, circuit, etc. described are combined or assembled in a form different from the described method, or are replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents.

[0041] Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments, and equivalents to the claims also fall within the scope of the claims set forth below. Explanation of the symbols

[0042] 100.. Computer device 110.. at least one processor 120.. Recording media 200.. User terminal S100.. Data collection stage S200.. Usage calculation stage S300.. Usage evaluation stage S310.. Unit conversion step S400.. Visualization stage

Claims

Claim 1 A method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm, comprising: a data collection step in which pig farm data including the concentration of antibiotics added to feed, the duration of antibiotic use, the frequency of antibiotic use, the daily feed intake of pigs, the average weight of pigs, and the number of pigs is collected by at least one processor for a pig farm; a usage calculation step in which the amount of antibiotics used for pigs in a pig farm is calculated by using the pig farm data by at least one processor; and a usage evaluation step in which the amount of antibiotics used for pigs in a pig farm is evaluated by comparing the amount of antibiotics with a preset reference value by at least one processor. Claim 2 A method for evaluating the amount of antibiotic used in a pig farm according to claim 1, wherein the amount of antibiotic used (A) is calculated by utilizing the following [Mathematical Formula 1] in the amount calculation step. [Mathematical Formula 1] Here, C ant ε₀ is the concentration of antibiotics added to the feed, IR is the daily feed intake of pigs, N is the number of pigs, EF is the duration of antibiotic use, and ED is the frequency of antibiotic use. Claim 3 A method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm according to claim 1, wherein the amount evaluation step comprises a unit conversion step in which the amount is converted into a PCU (Population Correction Unit) unit using the following [Mathematical Formula 2], and wherein the unit-converted amount of antibiotic (A') is compared with a preset reference value. [Mathematical Formula 2] Here, A is the amount of antibiotic used, PCU is the product of the average body weight of the pigs and the number of pigs, and AT is the average number of days of antibiotic exposure. Claim 4 A method for evaluating the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm, characterized in that, in claim 1, it further includes a visualization step in which the evaluation result evaluated from the usage evaluation step is visualized according to a preset format by the at least one processor. Claim 5 A computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon for performing a method to evaluate the amount of antibiotics used in a pig farm according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 4.

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