Antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria is on the rise according to a new report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). A high percentage of samples collected from people and food-producing animals showed resistance to frequently used medicines such as tetracycline, sulfonamides and ampicillin. Additionally, a high percentage of Salmonella and Campylobacter samples from demonstrated rising resistance to ciprofloxacin, a crucial antibiotic for fighting infections in people. Due to increased antibiotic resistance, ciprofloxacin and other similar antibiotics do not work against Campylobacter infections in humans.
The report calls for stepping up efforts to detect carbapenemase-producing E. coli in food-producing animals. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of using antibiotics appropriately in human and animal medicine, as well as food production.
“Antimicrobial resistance in common foodborne bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter highlights the close links between humans, animal, and food systems”, wrote Dr. Piotr Kramarz, ECDC’s Chief Scientist. “Protecting the effectiveness of antimicrobials requires coordinated action through a strong One Health approach—because antimicrobial resistance affects us all”.
