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The third joint EFSA and ECDC report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic bacteria affecting humans, animals and foods shows the continued presence of resistance to a range of antimicrobials in Salmonella and Campylobacter, the main bacteria causing food-borne infections in the European Union (EU). Nevertheless, co-resistance (combined resistance) to two critically important antimicrobials, remains low. The report is based on data collected by EU Member States for 2011. The joint EFSA/ECDC 2011 report is the first to analyse multidrug resistance and co-resistance to antimicrobials, in both humans and animals.
A high proportion of Campylobacter bacteria,the primary cause of foodborne diseases in the EU, found in humans, food-producing animals and food was resistant to the critically important antimicrobial ciprofloxacin whereas low resistance was recorded for erythromycin, a second critically important antimicrobial. Overall in the EU, co-resistance to critically important antimicrobials was low, which indicates that treatment options remain available so far for severe infections with these bacteria. In addition, high resistance was recorded for commonly used antimicrobials.
In Salmonella multidrug resistance, or resistance to at least three different antimicrobial classes, was high overall in the EU. In humans, a high proportion of Salmonella was found to be resistant to commonly used antimicrobials and this was also the case for animals, especially pigs and turkeys. High resistance to ciprofloxacin in isolates from poultry was also observed. Nonetheless, there were low levels of co-resistance to critically important antimicrobials among Salmonella from humans, food-producing animals and food.
Thursday May 16, 2013/ EFSA/ European Union.
http://www.efsa.europa.eu
