CalfScience: Extension Education at Many Levels

Introduction

Antimicrobials are important tools for food animal health but could potentially result in selection for resistant bacteria. Although the real impact of antimicrobial use in food animals on development of resistance in human and zoonotic pathogens remains unknown (Phillips et al., 2008), the perception that use of these drugs in animals is a significant cause of resistance in human bacterial pathogens is widespread (Silbergeld, Graham, & Price, 2008), suggesting that animal industries be actively engaged in developing fact-based approaches that encourage careful use of antimicrobials and support the spread and adoption of these practices.

Purpose

A multi-year project supported by the USDA Integrated Food Safety Program and industry-related collaborators focused on research and educational programs to implement prudent use of antimicrobials in pre-weaned dairy heifer and bull calves. The project focused on: 1) research describing the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance on large calf-raising operations, 2) testing strategies and alternatives to antimicrobial use, and 3) developing multi-audience outreach programs. The combined efforts of this integrated research and Extension program is CalfScience.

Activities

The foundation of CalfScience included eight research projects on the development of antimicrobial resistance in the enteric flora of neonatal calves and testing alternatives to their use (Berge, Atwill, & Sischo, 2003; Berge, Lindeque, Moore, & Sischo, 2005b; Berge, Atwill, & Sischo, 2005a; Berge, Moore, & Sischo, 2006a; Berge, Moore, & Sischo, 2006b; Berge, Besser, Moore, & Sischo, 2009c; Berge, Moore, Besser, & Sischo, 2009b; Berge, Hancock, Sischo, & Besser, 2009a). Results of these and other research findings were incorporated into outreach programs for three audiences: dairy producers and calf raisers, food animal veterinarians, and animal science and veterinary students. The framework for delivering the program included a website and seminars.

The CalfScience Producer Course emphasized non-antibiotic or judicious antimicrobial use to achieve four goals for calf health: less than 2% pre-weaning losses, saving money on product costs, growing heifers to perform, and preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics for future use. Two delivery formats were developed: an educational booklet and an online course (using Adobe Presenter™) at <http://vetextension.wsu.edu/courses/calfscience/producers/index.htm>. A questionnaire helped evaluate the course marketed to producers and calf-raisers in the West through an email newsletter, practicing veterinarians, and industry representatives.

The CalfScience Veterinary Continuing Education Course was developed for dairy veterinarians in the western United States and focused on judicious drug use and research findings on alternatives to antimicrobials in calf management. The course was delivered as a 50-minute online course (using Adobe Presenter™) and a 90-minute seminar. Email and mail databases of veterinarians in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington were used to promote the online curriculum. The seminar was offered in southern California, central Washington, and northwestern Washington. Post-program evaluations for the seminar were used to assess usefulness of the program.

The CalfScience Student Course targeted animal science and veterinary students. The objectives were to instruct college students about public policy issues surrounding antimicrobial resistance, use of antimicrobials in animal agriculture, research to address the issues, and how research can be used to make science-based farm management decisions about antimicrobial use. Instructors from seven western universities were contacted, and faculty visited each school to present the seminar and provide instructors a Calf Science Course CD that included: a course quiz, PowerPoint Evaluation Form, PowerPoint Presentation, Course Evaluation, Class Exercises, and a Trainer's Guide. In-residence presentations were evaluated using a retrospective pre-post questionnaire (Davis, 2003). The course was also provided on the website <http://vetextension.wsu.edu/courses/calfscience/students/index.htm>.

Results and Discussion

The producer course was presented, in parts, at nine producer meetings and on the WSU Calfscience website. Between September 2008 and August 2009, based on Web usage statistics, over 500 individuals visited the online producer course.

The veterinary course was presented to three veterinary groups. When asked how much of the content was new to them, over 54% reported that more than 75% was new, and 85% indicated it was relevant to their practice. Most agreed that as a result of the course, they could better serve their calf-raising clients (96%), were confident in their ability to apply the new knowledge (96%), and better understood the issue of antimicrobial resistance (93%). Fifty-three percent thought the course was excellent, 44% thought it was good. Written comments about the course included:

• "Outstanding!"


• "Great program"


• "Well organized" and


• "Very informative & cutting edge (ahead of information that is publically available)."

The CS Student Course was presented to over 250 students from seven western universities: California State University-Fresno, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University-Pomona, Western University College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Washington State University, and Central Washington University. From that population, we collected 224 completed evaluations. Students were in a number of majors: Animal/Dairy/Meat Science (66.36%), Biology/Zoology (9.09%), Ag Business/Business (7.73%), and Veterinary Medicine (4.55%). Most material was new to 80% of the students. Students were asked to evaluate their knowledge or competence before and after the course to using a scale of Expert, Good, Fair, Poor, and No Experience (Table 1).

There were significant trends for increasing level of self-rated competence or knowledge after the course for each evaluation item (Chi-square test for trend; P<0.01) (Table 1).

Conclusions

The CalfScience outreach program focused on three audiences with the same science-based messages. College students in animal and veterinary science represent future producers and dairy advisors, and veterinarians are dairy producers' primary source of herd health information and dairy beef food safety (Jensen, English, Menard, 2009). From a research translation aspect, programs designed like CalfScience bridge the gap between key research findings and application to industry problems and provide for a multiple-audience approach to a public policy issue.

Implications

Modern Extension programs are issues-focused, can be delivered through a variety of mechanisms, and can reach multiple, diverse audiences. CalfScience can serve as a model for issues-based integrated research and Extension programs.

References

Berge, A. C., Atwill, E. R., & Sischo, W. M. (2005a). Animal and farm influences on the dynamics of antibiotic resistance in faecal Escherichia coli in young dairy calves. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 69, 25-38.

Berge, A. C., Hancock, D. D., Sischo, W. M., & Besser, T. E. (2009a). Geographic, farm and animal factors associated with multiple antimicrobial resistance in bovine fecal Escherichia coli in the western United States. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, In Press.

Berge, A. C., Lindeque, P., Moore, D. A., & Sischo, W. M. (2005b). A clinical trial evaluating prophylactic and therapeutic antibiotic use on health and performance of preweaned calves. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 2166-2177.

Berge, A. C., Moore, D. A., Besser, T. E., & Sischo, W. M. (2009b). Targeting therapy to minimize antimicrobial use in pre-weaned calves: effects on health, growth and treatment costs. Journal of Dairy Science 92:4707-14.

Berge, A. C., Moore, D. A., & Sischo, W. M. (2006a). Field trial evaluating the influence of prophylactic and therapeutic antimicrobial administration on antimicrobial resistance of fecal Escherichia coli in dairy calves. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 72, 3872-3878.

Berge, A. C. B., Atwill, E. R., & Sischo, W. M. (2003). Assessing antibiotic resistance in fecal Escherichia coli in young calves using cluster analysis techniques. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 61, 91-102.

Berge, A. C. B., Besser, T. E., Moore, D. A., & Sischo, W. M. (2009c). Evaluation of the effects of oral colostrum supplementation during the first fourteen days on the health and performance of preweaned calves. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 286-295.

Berge, A. C. B., Moore, D. A., & Sischo, W. M. (2006b). Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Salmonella enterica in preweaned calves from dairies and calf ranches. American Journal of Veterinary Research 67, 1580-1588.

Davis, G. A. (2003) Using a retrospective pre-post questionnaire to determine program impact. Journal of Extension [On-line], 41(4): Article 4TOT4. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2003august/tt4.php

Jensen,K. L., English, B. C., Menard,R. J.(2009) Livestock farmers' use of animal or herd health information sources. Journal of Extension [On-line], 47(1): Article 1FEA7. Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2009february/a7.php

Phillips, I., Casewell, M., Cox, T., De Groot, B., Friss, C., Jones, R. et al. (2008). Does the use of antibiotics in food animals pose a risk to human health? A critical review of published data. Journal of Antimicrobial and Chemotherapy 53[1], 28-52.

Silbergeld, E., Graham, J., & Price, L. B. (2008). Industrial food animal production, antimicrobial resistance, and human health. Food Animal Production and Human Health 29, 151-169.

VanBaale, M. J. Galland, J. C., Hyatt, D. R., & Milliken, G. A. (2003) A survey of dairy producer practices and attitudes pertaining to dairy market beef food safety. Food Protection Trends 23(6): 466-473.