Wisconsin dairy farm worker perceptions and practices related to antibiotic use, resistance, and infection prevention using a systems engineering framework.

We studied farmworker practices and beliefs potentially contributing to transmission of bacteria and their associated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) among animals and farm workers to identify potential behavioral interventions to reduce the risk of bacterial transmission. Ten focus groups were conducted on eight Wisconsin dairy farms to assess potentially high-risk practices and farmworker knowledge and experiences with antibiotic use and resistance using the Systems Engineering in Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework. Farmworkers were asked to describe common on-farm tasks and the policies guiding these practices. We found workers demonstrated knowledge of the role of antibiotic stewardship in preventing the spread of ARGs. Worker knowledge of various forms of personal protective equipment was higher for workers who commonly reported glove-use. Additionally, workers knowledge regarding the importance of reducing ARG transmission varied but was higher than we had hypothesized. Programs to reduce ARG spread on dairy farms should focus on proper hand hygiene and personal protective equipment use at the level of knowledge, beliefs, and practices.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

The authors have read the journal’s policy and declare the following competing interests: PLR received personal fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim Animal Health for giving sponsored continuing education talks to veterinarians about use of antibiotics to treat dairy cows. This company makes and sells antibiotics used for that purpose. Qualitative HealthResearch Consultants, LLC provided support in the form of salary for AK. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.