Working Against 'super Bugs' - EU Member States Must Do More To Combat Antimicrobial Resistance

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 28 Dec 2005 - 12:00 PDT

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Efforts need to be stepped up to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics in the EU and curb the emergence of "super bugs" resistant to medical treatments, according to a new European Commission report.

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics have accelerated the global development of bacteria and other microbes immune to drugs normally used to fight them. This phenomenon, known as "antimicrobial resistance", can pose a serious danger to public health, as traditional treatments for various medical conditions are rendered ineffective.

The report published today highlights key areas which need to be addressed by Member States to tackle antimicrobial resistance, in particular better infection control, reduced self-medication of antibiotics, and more information for citizens on the proper use of antimicrobial treatments.

Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection said: "The discovery of penicillin almost 80 years ago heralded an enormous step forward for public health. However, the overuse of antibiotics has accelerated the development of bacteria resistant to these medicines and this now threatens to undermine much of the progress made in treating infections.

Certain treatments that we have come to depend on are becoming less effective, while "super bugs" in hospitals are causing unnecessary deaths. Citizens must be educated on this problem, while Member States and the medical profession have a duty to take every measure possible to curb the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance".

The threat of resistance

Antimicrobial resistance refers to bacteria, viruses, fungi and certain parasites developing immunity to certain medicines, largely due to the overexploitation and inappropriate use of antibiotics by humans. It is a public health problem of global proportions, as the development and spread of resistant microbes threatens the effective treatment of infections which medicine has been able to deal with up to now.

Tuberculoses, malaria, gonorrhoea, sinusitis and childhood ear infections are just a few of the diseases that have become difficult to treat with antibiotics due to antimicrobial resistance, while microbes with multiple drug resistance, such as certain strains of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), can lead to serious hospital-acquired infections.

In 2001, the Commission launched a strategy to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance to human, animal and plant health, which includes data collection, surveillance, research, awareness-raising exercises and the phasing out of antibiotics for non-medical use in animals. A Council Recommendation on the prudent use of antibiotics (see IP/01/1596), adopted in 2002, was a component in this strategy, outlining clear-cut measures that Member States could take to reduce or prevent antimicrobial resistance.

Reporting on progress

The Commission report published today follows up on the implementation of the 2002 Recommendation, which called on national authorities to take action to contain the spread of antimicrobial resistance in the EU, by encouraging the more prudent use of antibiotics in humans. While the report recognises some good progress made by Member States in putting measures in place against antimicrobial resistance, notably improved surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance, and closer cooperation between different professionals on this issue, it states that more still needs to be done. It stresses that Member States need to develop and implement national strategies and action plans to tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance, and there should be better exchange of good practice on issues such as vaccination campaigns, and hygiene and infection control.

Self-medication with antibiotics is still a problem in many Member States, according to the report, which is why a "prescription only" approach should be strictly enforced and educational activities are needed. The Commission suggests that all countries should have guidelines on appropriate antimicrobial treatment, at least for the most common illnesses, and that information and education available to citizens on antimicrobials should be improved. Public health institutions are strongly advised to step up infection control measures to counter the spread of "super-bugs" such as MRSA. Finally, the importance of international cooperation on antimicrobial resistance is emphasised due to the global nature of the problem. The Commission works closely with international partners such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) on this issue.

Click here to see the report.

http://europa.eu.int

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