Idexx has launched Pet Resist (www.petresist.com), an online map of the levels of antibiotic resistance recorded in cats and dogs by the company over the past five years.
The map displays geographical variations in resistance to the top 10 antibiotics used in cats and dogs.
Simon Wootton, UK CAG Marketing Manager from Idexx said: "The ability to select the most appropriate antibiotic prior to testing may increase the effectiveness of treatments and reduce the number of return visits. We believe that this new service will also help prolong the effective life of existing antibiotics at a time when there is considerable pressure on the profession to reduce their use."
Pet Resist shows levels of resistance overlaid on an interactive UK map down to individual postcode areas. You enter the postcode, the antibiotic (amoxicillin, ampicillin, cefaliexn, etc) and the suspected organism (E coli, S aureus, etc), after which you'll be able to see the level of resistance based on historical data from the past five years, and use this to help choose appropriate therapies.
Simon added: "We have used results of MIC tests on over 200,000 samples submitted to Idexx to develop the database upon which the resistance levels are based. The data will be continually updated as we receive more samples at our Wetherby laboratory, further increasing the accuracy and value of the service to vets and their clients."
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those figures appear to be set on a sound statistical basis that wont scare the daylights (I don't mean daylights...) out of owners.
if you want real data, provide a free culture and sensitivity service, we will swab every infection site we treat with antibiotics and get a real figure, not a figure based on swabs sent because the infection has returned/not cleared. that is like saying that 75% of the national population are guilty of a crime, because 75% of all defendants in court were found guilty! (figures made up!)
Peter, you are correct, the site is designed to illustrate sensitivity / resistant data based on the samples we receive. It does not show data based prior to treatment in the majority of cases as our research shows the majority of the global veterinary community treat, then test. The site is a knowledge tool, that although perhaps contrary to a diagnostic company's normal focus on driving testing, is designed to add to the knowledge base of the market in terms of the top 10 isolates and their resistant / sensitivity to our top 10 tested against anti-microbials. We have a few development plans to further enhance the site which I am happy to discuss with you but unfortunately we cannot as you mention offer FOC C&S testing.
It is perhaps an example of the uk veterinary market leading the knowledge base in a global perspective over our international colleagues and medical ones also.