When used judiciously, antibiotics provide life-saving protection against bacterial infections. Yet, bacteria are highly adaptable and are capable of mutating to become resistant – an effect that is largely accelerated by the widespread misuse of antibiotics.. In its first Report on Antimicrobial Consumption in Europe, the The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC; Sweden) observes an increasing trend in consumption of antibacterials for systemic use, with 90% of such use taking place in the community – that is, outside hospitals. Consequently, the ECDC data shows a significant rise of resistance to multiple antibiotics in Kiebsiella pneumonia and E. coli since 2010.
Dangerous Rise in Antibiotics Resistance
K Weist; on behalf of the ESAC-Net participants and the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-associated Infections (ARHAI) programme at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). “ECDC publishes its first data on antimicrobial consumption in Europe.” Eurosurveillance, Volume 18, Issue 10, 7 March 2013.
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