News

Background - Antibiotics are of utmost importance in the medical professions armoury against pathogenic infections, but each time they’re used in an attempt to kill infective bacteria we take a risk. Within a bacterial colony often there are ones that differ genetically from the rest. These carry resistant genes that prevent the antibiotics we use from killing them. If we kill the majority of susceptible bacteria but not the resistant ones, we make space for these resistant bacteria to become dominant. In other words, the antibiotic will no longer work against these resistant infective bacteria. This is also the case with disinfectant and antiseptic products. It seems, the more we clean with disinfectant, or the more we treat infections with antibiotics and antiseptic, the more dangerous the resistant bacteria can become. Bacteria build nests called biofilm on surfaces to protect themselves, for example, plaque on our teeth. When biofilms form, the efficacy of disinfectant, antiseptic and antibiotic technology reduces significantly. Biofilm dominated by resistant bacteria is disastrous.  We face therefore, a return to a pre antibiotic era where child birth, simple cuts or grazes, or stomach upsets could become fatal. We have to protect the antibiotics we have, ensuring their efficacy for as long as possible. We have a fight on our hands against resistant bacteria. We have a fight against AMR.

A major breakthrough in this fight is being worked on via a collaboration between Pruex Ltd from Carmarthenshire in Wales and Biowet Drwalew from Warsaw in Poland. Pruex, an innovative one health company, use detergents containing non infective bacteria to compete against infective ones in the environment and consistently demonstrate modulation of biofilm from being dominated by potentially pathogenic colonies of bacteria to non infective types. Biowet Drwalew manufacture antibiotics and have a long history and an established position in the market of veterinary medicinal products in Poland. Both organisations objectives align as they both want antibiotics to keep working for as long as possible without the threat of increasing AMR.

It’s known that biofilm on surfaces can contain resistant bacteria that can infect animals including humans. Biowet Drwalew manufacture antibiotics to World Health Organisation standards. Pruex products will be used to ensure the animals have clean water, a dry bed and clean air to breathe. By doing so, the aim is for the contents of the biofilm in the animal housing and water lines to change, increasing the dominance of non-infective bacteria and reducing the numbers of resistant bacteria. Reducing the number of resistant bacteria present will safeguard the use of antibiotics for future generations.

This work was presented by Aled Rhys Davies of Pruex on the 19th April at the prestigious 18th scientific buiatrics conference, specific and non-specific immunoprophylaxis of selected cattle diseases - new achievements and directions of development held at the Polish Buiatric Association, National Veterinary Institute, Puławy. His presentation caught the imagination of the attending veterinary delegation with the trade booth remaining busy over the two day event.

At the conference, Aled Rhys Davies, the founder of Pruex stated that “Nature often has the answer to our man made problems. Nature provides us with bacteria that can out compete the problematic resistant bacteria our medicines by default have encouraged. We have to be scientific in our approach so that we can harness such technology in the fight against AMR. We want to see antibiotic manufacturers continue to provide effective products and are excited that, along with the scientists and staff at Biowet Drwalew that we can conduct work to modulate the contents of biofilm in animal environments and water systems so that we can potentially enable antibiotics that currently are no longer effective to work once more. We have an opportunity to secure the future of prudent antibiotic use without the risk of building resistant bacterial biofilm”.

Chemicals have been used by vets and farmers in an attempt to keep all forms of livestock healthy. Antibiotics, antiseptics, and biocides are technologies that attempt to achieve sterility, but of course, sterility isn't achievable outside of controlled conditions such as those found in a laboratory, and is impossible at farm level. Synthetic chemicals have been used to grow plants, yet our waterways are under pressure from the nitrogen and phosphorus contained in such products as well as from human sludge and animal slurry or muck applied to land. 

Pruex aims to lead the fight against antimicrobial resistance and environmental pollution. This video illustrates how we do so. An environmental success, improved animal welfare and animal health, all contributing to improved food production and food density. A one health approach that shows how Pruex can enable environmentally beneficial farming and optimise a circular economy. 

If milk or milk products are contaminated by thermoduric bacteria on farm, then there are consequences for the whole food chain. These bacteria spoil milk products. Usually, if milk becomes contaminated by bacteria on farm, the process of pasteurisation by processors can eliminate the contamination and prolong the shelf life of the milk or milk products. Thermoduric bacteria, like Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Corynebacterium, Microbacterium, Micrococcus, Alcaligenes, can all survive the process of pasteurisation which can greatly reduce shelf life and food safety. These bacteria are all too present in the cows environment. They occur in slurry, silage, bedding, and compacted soil. The use of disinfectant to control them being futile as sterile environments are almost impossible to achieve and harder still to maintain in agricultural conditions.

The problem becomes magnified when milk fat and protein fuel the buildup of biofilm within milking plants especially in aged, perished rubberware.

Our research work looking at ways to reverse antimicrobial resistance on farms enabled us at the ploughing event to transfer the knowledge needed by Irish farmers to reduce the risks of their milk being contaminated by thermoduric bacteria. We were able to discuss ways of managing the cows’ environments and ways of maintaining clean milking plants without using chemicals.

Tara Lawrence, pictured, states that “If farmers are struggling with thermoduric contamination of their milk, we can help. I can visit the farm to collect swabs, the results of which allows us to devise a farm specific programme where we replace problematic bacteria in the cows environment with non thermaduric, non problematic bacteria”. 

This strategy has already proved it’s worth on parlour and robot milking systems throughout Ireland.

Pruex offer this service in the UK as well. Click here to book a consultation, or call 01558509025 for further information.

On the 12th May the IOD Wales held their annual Director of the Year Awards in celebration of the talented and successful directors across all industry sectors, and the winner of the Innovation Director of the Year was none other than our very own Aled Davies, director and founder of Pruex Ltd. Aled wanted to thank Nuffield Farming, as well as his colleagues at Pruex and his family for all their ongoing support. Pruex extends its warmest congratulations to all the other winners and finalists.  

When asked about the importance of the award, Aled said:

"Nuffield taught me that every business has more than one leader. I'm delighted that the staff at Pruex are taking ownership of the different aspects of running the business. Our customers are an extended family and we all enjoy working with them". 

The dominant display of talented female directors was something to celebrate. 

But one female was robbed of her recognition - condolences to Poppy the horse who was cropped out the mugshot photo.

Sometimes in business, especially when you're busy, you forget how important customer feedback is. On Instagram today, we were tagged into a video post that a customer had generated. Our aim in business is to ensure prudent as opposed to excessive antibiotic use, hence our name PruEx. In this video, the Ford Family from Nempnett Pastures tell the story of using Quietwean tags to reduce the need for antibiotics at weaning. It's a great piece of work. The cattle look well. The lack of noise from the calves post weaning speaks volumes for the simplicity and efficacy of the product. 

We would like to thank the Ford family for their custom and feedback.

Keeping animals healthy during housed periods can be difficult, with farmers tending to notice health issues towards the last third of the housed period. Supplying a dry bed, clean air and water for animals are critical. At Pruex, we work with farmers to ensure they can provide such basic environments for their livestock. 

Farmers know that if their animals aren't drinking aggressively like these in the video that the water they are providing their animals is putrid. Animals drinking putrid water are more likely to get sick and require antibiotic treatment. Pruex work with farmers to ensure Prudent as opposed to excessive antibiotic use. 

"The team at Pruex would like to thank our fantastic customers and those that have sent video, texts, emails, letters or have called to congratulate us on winning the Agri Epi Centre award for UK Innovation. We continue to learn with you all how to keep animals healthy and by doing so, reduce the need for antibiotics. Diolch yn Fawr." Aled Rhys Davies, founder.

Agri-EPI Centre’s agri-tech awards champions agri-tech innovators that have made a significant sustainable impact on-farm between January 2019- March 2021.