The report makes an important contribution to current work being carried out at EU-level to fight antimicrobial resistance.
The report, based on data collected from EU Member States for 2010, shows that resistance to several antimicrobials was commonly detected in zoonotic bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter which are the main causes of reported food-borne infections in the EU. The occurrence of resistance in animals and food remained similar to that of previous years.
EFSA’s executive director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, said: “Zoonotic diseases are important public health threats in the EU and resistance of zoonotic bacteria to antimicrobials used to treat these illnesses is an increasing concern both at the European level and globally.
“EFSA recognised this early on in its establishment and has been collecting important data and reporting on antimicrobial resistance trends in animals and food since 2004. In the framework of the European Commission’s Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance, EFSA will further strengthen its efforts in this field and cooperation with key partners such as ECDC and the European Medicines Agency.”
ECDC’s director, Marc Sprenger, added: “Campylobacteriosis is the most frequently reported zoonotic infection in humans and the high resistance of Campylobacter to several antimicrobials, including ciprofloxacin, is of increasing concern at EU-level. ECDC has long been aware of the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance, which is why we have been collecting surveillance data and co-ordinating the European Antibiotic Awareness day.
“This new report is another crucial step forward. With harmonised surveillance of human and animal data we can act to prevent its further spread in humans. ECDC will continue strengthening its links with all key stakeholders including EFSA to provide scientific support to risk managers in order to efficiently tackle antimicrobial resistance from a one-health perspective.”
Source: EFSA
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