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Published Date: 2011-07-13 09:12:02
Subject: PRO/AH> Antimicrobial resistance, human, animal - EU: EFSA/ECDC report
Archive Number: 20110713.2108

ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE, HUMAN, ANIMAL - EUROPEAN UNION: EFSA/ECDC
REPORT
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Date: Tue 12 Jul 2011
Source: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [edited]
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/110712.htm?WT.mc_id=EFSAHL01&emt=1

EFSA and ECDC publish 1st joint report on antimicrobial resistance in
zoonotic bacteria affecting humans, animals, and food
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Scientists at 2 European Union agencies have combined their expertise
to analyse Member State data and compile the 1st joint EU report on
antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic bacteria affecting humans,
animals, and food. Compiled by the European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
(ECDC), the report indicates that resistance to antimicrobials was
observed in zoonotic bacteria, such as _Salmonella_ and
_Campylobacter_, which may cause infectious diseases transmissible
between animals and humans and which can be found in foods. The report
also presents antimicrobial resistance data for non-disease causing
bacteria such as indicator _E. coli_ and Enterococci, that usually do
not cause disease in humans [*1].

The report makes an important contribution to current work being
carried out at European level and the findings will be considered by
the European Commission as it develops its forthcoming proposals for
action to fight antimicrobial resistance.

"EFSA has joined ranks with ECDC and Member States to provide
policymakers with this important benchmark report," said Dr Hubert
Deluyker, EFSA's Director of Risk Assessment and Scientific
Assistance.

"Recognising the important public health threat from antimicrobial
resistance, these 2 agencies, in close collaboration with their
colleagues in various other institutions in Europe, are leading the
way in harmonising methodologies for data collection across the EU
from the medical, veterinary, and food sectors."

ECDC Director, Marc Sprenger, added "Our shared aim is to harmonise
the surveillance and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in
infections that are transmitted between animals and humans. This
information is critical to inform decisions on the control of
antimicrobial resistant infections that affect a growing number of
people across Europe."

Antimicrobials are used in human and veterinary medicine to eliminate
micro-organisms causing infections, such as bacteria. In
food-producing animals, the antimicrobials used to treat various
infectious diseases may be the same or similar to those used for
humans.

Resistance to antimicrobials occurs when the micro-organisms develop
mechanisms that reduce their effectiveness or render their use
ineffective. Resistant bacteria can spread through many routes. When
antimicrobial resistance occurs in zoonotic bacteria present in
animals and food it can also compromise the effective treatment of
infectious diseases in humans.

The report, based on 2009 data, shows that a high proportion of
_Campylobacter_ in humans is resistant to a critically important
antibiotic for the treatment of human diseases: ciprofloxacin, which
belongs to the fluoroquinolones group. In animals, a high or moderate
proportion of _Salmonella_ (in chickens), _Campylobacter_, and
non-disease-causing _E. coli_ was also found to be resistant to this
antibiotic.

A low proportion of _Salmonella_ in humans and of _Salmonella_ and
non-disease-causing _E. coli_ in animals was found to be resistant to
3rd generation cephalosporins, a type of antibiotic, considered by the
World Health Organisation (WHO) to be critically important in human
medicine.

[*1]. The _E. coli_ and Enterococci bacteria analysed in the report
were non-pathogenic, that is, do not cause diseases. The report only
includes data on resistance in _E. coli_ from animals and food, not
from humans].

Key findings of the report
--------------------------
1. Humans
- _Campylobacter_: in humans, high levels of resistance were recorded
for the antimicrobial ciprofloxacin (47 percent) as well as for
resistance to ampicillin (43 percent) and nalidixic acid (40 percent).
Resistance to another important antimicrobial -- erythromycin -- was
low (3.1 percent).
- _Salmonella_: the report shows that resistance to common
antimicrobials like ampicillin, tetracycline, and sulphonamide was
moderate, with around 20 percent of the tested bacteria considered
resistant. Resistance to clinically important antimicrobials -- 3rd-
generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones -- was below 10
percent.
- _E. coli_: the report did not include data on resistance to
antimicrobials in _E. coli_ in humans.

2. Animals
- In animals, _Campylobacter_ also showed high levels of resistance
to ciprofloxacin. This was in particular the case for chickens (46
percent in _Campylobacter jejuni_ and 78 percent in the _Campylobacter
coli_) and also pigs (50 percent in _Campylobacter coli_).
- _Salmonella_: in animals, high levels of resistance were recorded
for ampicillin, tetracycline, and sulphonamide in pigs and pig meat
(47-60 percent), cattle (37-40 percent), and chicken meat (27-33
percent). A moderate level of resistance to ciprofloxacin was recorded
in chickens and chicken meat (around 20 percent).
- Non-disease causing _E. coli_ showed high levels of resistance to
tetracycline, ampicillin, and sulphonamide in pigs and chicken; and
_E. coli_ was found to be resistant to ciprofloxacin in chicken (47
percent) and also in pigs (12 percent). The occurrence of
3rd-generation cephalosporin resistance was still low.

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[The complete Scientific Report of EFSA and ECDC (324 pages) is
available at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/2154.pdf.
- Mod.AS]

[The presence of antibiotic resistance genes in non-pathogens, such
as commensal gut _Escherichia coli_, is not necessarily innocuous
(http://www.microbemagazine.org/index.php/05-2009-home/336-commensals-underappreciated-reservoir-of-antibiotic-resistance)
and may constitute an important reservoir of resistance genes
(http://www.aseanbiotechnology.info/abstract/21018065.pdf). Genes
that encode for antibiotic resistance are often located on mobile
genetic elements that can move between bacteria of the same species
and even can move across species and genus boundaries. Resistance can
then be transferred in a horizontal fashion from non-pathogens to a
variety of pathogenic species. Because genes that encode antibiotic
resistance are often linked together, gene transfer can result in
resistance to multiple antibiotics. - Mod.ML]

See Also