Antibiotic resistance in salmonella

Salmonella and Campylobacter are often resistant to antibiotics

03/26/2014

Bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter are often resistant to antibiotics. This was the result of an evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (Efsa) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Thus, infections caused by these bacterial groups can often no longer be treated with common antibiotics.

Resistance to antibiotics is increasing
Salmonella and Campylobacter are among the groups of bacteria that most commonly cause foodborne infections in humans. Effective drugs are therefore essential. According to a report by Efsa, which was presented on Monday, but in some cases no successful treatment with the common antibiotics is possible because the bacteria have now developed (multi) resistance.

The Authority, in cooperation with the ECDC, evaluated data from 2012 from 29 European countries based on human and animal samples and came to the alarming conclusion. „Therefore, prudent use of antibiotics is of paramount importance not only in humans, but also in animals, "said Efsa's Risk Assessment Director Marta Hugas, who identified nearly half of Salmonella isolates as resistant to a common antibiotic , 28.9 percent showed a multi-resistance. „Campylobacter human isolates have often been found to be clinically resistant to common antimicrobials“, it says in a message from Efsa. In the EU average, 47.4 percent of the isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, a widely used broad-spectrum antibiotic, „with an upward trend in several Member States“.

Comparability of data on antibiotic resistance of bacteria should be improved
Johan Giesecke, senior scientist at ECDC, points to country-specific differences in the baseline data: „In humans, the levels of clinical antimicrobial resistance showed a high degree of variability between Member States, partly due to the use of different methods and criteria for data interpretation in the EU. In 2014, ECDC is introducing an EU protocol for the harmonized monitoring of antibiotic resistance in human isolates of Salmonella and Campylobacter. Therefore, in the future we expect more accurate data from the countries and thus a better comparability of the data.“

According to the report, treatment options continue to be available for severe infections transmitted by these zoonotic bacteria between humans and animals. Only a few bacteria are simultaneously resistant to several common antibiotics. Nevertheless, this development gives cause for concern, according to the experts. (Ag)

Picture credits: Sebastian Karkus