Announcement of the status of antibiotic resistance in food in Europe.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) have just published a joint report stating that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in foodborne bacteria continues to be a serious public health concern across the European Union (EU).

Announcement of the situation regarding antibiotic resistance in food in Europe. (Illustrative image: VGP)

Despite some progress in control efforts, the level of antibiotic resistance in many common bacterial strains remains high, requiring sustained and coordinated response measures.

The report focuses on analyzing the AMR status of common bacteria in the food chain such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, which can be transmitted from animals to humans through contaminated food.

Diseases caused by these bacteria are not only common but in many cases are severe, requiring antibiotic treatment. As bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, effective treatment options narrow, increasing the risk of complications and placing a greater burden on the healthcare system.

Emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the issue, Piotr Kramarz, a senior expert at the ECDC, stated that the AMR status of Salmonella and Campylobacter reflects the close link between human and animal health and the food production system.

According to him, effectively protecting antibiotics – one of the pillars of modern medicine – requires strong coordinated action towards a "One Health" approach, because AMR is a common, borderless challenge.

One of the concerning points is that the rate of resistance to ciprofloxacin – a key antibiotic in treating severe infections – remains high in many strains of Campylobacter and Salmonella isolated from both humans and livestock. Salmonella in livestock has maintained high levels of resistance for many years, while the rate of ciprofloxacin resistance in human infections is still on the rise.

For Campylobacter, resistance to ciprofloxacin is so widespread that the drug is no longer recommended for use in treating human infections in Europe, making restrictions on its use in animals necessary.

Besides ciprofloxacin, many bacterial strains are also resistant to other commonly used drugs such as ampicillin, tetracycline, and sulfonamides.

Notably, the appearance of carbapenemase-producing E. coli bacteria in livestock and meat products in some countries is considered a warning sign, because carbapenem antibiotics are the "last resort" for humans and are banned from use in animal husbandry.

Nevertheless, the report also noted some positive signs. Over the past decade, the incidence of ampicillin- and tetracycline-resistant Salmonella in humans has decreased significantly in many member countries.

At the EU level, tetracycline resistance in broiler chickens and ampicillin resistance in turkeys are also trending downward. For Campylobacter, the rate of erythromycin resistance – the first-line treatment for humans – is decreasing in both humans and animals in many countries.

However, experts warn that the pace of improvement is slowing in some areas, particularly E. coli in poultry, where levels of resistance tend to plateau rather than continue to decline.

According to EFSA and ECDC, differences in AMR models between countries reflect variations in drug use, farming practices, and disease prevention measures.

The latest findings further reinforce the importance of a “holistic health” approach, in which responsible antibiotic use, combined with improved food safety and disease control, is key to protecting public health and limiting the long-term threat of AMR in Europe.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/cong-bo-tinh-trang-khang-khang-sinh-tu-thuc-pham-tai-chau-au-361741.html