European league-tables for antibiotic resistance revealed

Tests of antibiotic resistance in cattle have revealed stark variation across thirteen European countries. The results, published today in BioMed Central’s open-access journal Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, show that major differences were apparent in the occurrence of resistance between countries and between the different antimicrobial agents tested.

In general, bacteria from Denmark, England (and Wales), the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland showed low frequencies of resistance, whereas many cultures from Belgium, France, Latvia and Spain were resistant to most antimicrobials tested.

The study was led by Rene S. Hendriksen from the Technical University of Denmark. He said, “The differences in resistance may reflect the differences in antimicrobial use between countries and veterinarians”.

Hendriksen added, “Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly important problem among several bacterial species. The problem has become so critical in some of these species that there are few treatment options left”.

Of major concern is the level of resistance found in Staphylococcus aureus to antibiotics previously thought to be effective. The prevalence of oxacillin resistance in Spain and France and the resistance towards cephalosporins indicate the presence of methicillin resistant S.aureus (MRSA) in these two countries.

Furthermore, the authors found a frightening number of resistant samples of Escherichia Coli in France, Spain, Italy and Belgium. According to Hendriksen, “The seemingly emerging occurrence of resistance to important antimicrobial agents in Belgium, France, Italy and Spain is worrying. These four countries had the highest frequency of resistance to most antimicrobial agents, potentially making treatment difficult.”

The same authors recently published a similar report in Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, which showed that antibacterial resistance in pigs also varies by country.

Based on the results of both of these studies, the authors recommend that, “The treatment of infected animals has to be based on local knowledge and observed local resistance patterns”.

Source: BioMed Central

Related stories:

Researchers Moving Closer to Creating Viable Energy From Sewage
(PhysOrg.com) -- When a newly developed technology for producing hydrogen gas from biowaste is brought to commercial use – as researchers believe it can be – then it appears the world will have plenty of energy if it can just solve the stubborn shortage of sewage.
Study links 'hygiene hypothesis' to diabetes prevention
A research study funded by JDRF suggests that a common intestinal bacteria may provide some protection from developing type 1 diabetes. The findings provide an important step towards understanding how and why type 1 diabetes develops in people, and may lead to potential cures.
New way to make malaria medicine also first step in finding new antibiotics
University of Illinois microbiology professor William Metcalf and his collaborators have developed a way to mass-produce an antimalarial compound, potentially making the treatment of malaria less expensive.
Continuous glucose monitoring in diabetic pregnant women lowers risk of complications
Continuous glucose monitoring as part of antenatal care for women with diabetes improves maternal blood glucose control and lowers birth weight and risk of macrosomia (excessive birth weight in babies), according to a study published on bmj.com today.
Gene variant boosts risk of fatty liver disease, scientists discover
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that individuals who carry a specific form of the gene PNPLA3 have more fat in their livers and a greater risk of developing liver inflammation. They also found that Hispanics are more likely to carry the gene variant responsible for higher liver-fat content than African-Americans and Caucasians.
Rice Protein Identified that Moderates Resistance to Infectious Disease
(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have identified a plant protein that is a key player in moderating resistance to infectious disease. The discovery has significant implications for medical and agricultural researchers, particularly those working to improve global rice production.
New insights could lead to a better pneumococcal vaccine
Discovery of a new, previously unknown mechanism of immunity suggests that there may be a better way to protect vulnerable children and adults against Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal) infection, say researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The findings, published in the open-access journal PLoS Pathogens on September 19, may aid the development of novel pneumococcal vaccines. (The current vaccine, Prevnar, is expensive and covers only 7 of the 91 known pneumococcal strains.)
We are facing a global pandemic of antibiotic resistance, warn experts
Vital components of modern medicine such as major surgery, organ transplantation, and cancer chemotherapy will be threatened if antibiotic resistance is not tackled urgently, warn experts on bmj.com today.

News discussion:

Medicine & Health news