Antimicrobial resistance continues to threaten human and animal health in Europe. This is the conclusion of the report on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Wednesday 22 February.
Antimicrobial resistance corresponds to the capacity of a microorganism to resist antimicrobial treatment to which it was previously responsive. According to European Commission estimates, AMR in the EU is responsible for 25,000 deaths every year and costs more than €1.5 billion in healthcare treatments and lost productivity.
The report focuses on 2015 and expresses concern about the resistance of salmonella to several antimicrobials. It also highlights resistance to Carbapenem antibiotics in the treatment of E. coli bacteria and the resistance of salmonella and E. coli bacteria to colistin, as well as Campylobacter coli bacteria to fluoroquinolones.
The report also highlights the fact that antimicrobial resistance levels in Europe continue to vary by geographical region, with countries in Northern and Western Europe generally having lower resistance levels than those in Southern and Eastern Europe. Marta Hugas, Head of EFSA’s Biological Hazards and Contaminants unit, said, “These geographic variations are most likely related to differences in antimicrobial use across the EU”. The 2015 report concentrates on pigs and bovines. It also contains a visualisation tool highlighting data for all the different countries on the levels of resistance of certain bacteria in food, animals and humans. This data is expected to help the Commission draft its action plan on antimicrobial resistance, which will be published during the summer. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)