Antimicrobial resistance monitoring and surveillance in the meat chain: A report from five countries in the European Union and European Economic Area

Background The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in zoonotic foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Campylobacter) and indicator microorganisms (E. coli, enterococci) is a major public health risk. Zoonotic bacteria, resistant to antimicrobials, are of special concern because they might compromise the effective treatment of infections in humans. Scope and approach In this review, the AMR monitoring and surveillance programmes in five selected countries within European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) are described. The sampling schemes, susceptibility testing for AMR identification, clinical breakpoints (clinical resistance) and epidemiological cut-off values (microbiological resistance) were considered to reflect on the most important variations between and within food-producing animal species, between countries, and to identify the most effective approach to tackle and manage the antimicrobial resistance in the food chain. Key findings and conclusions The science-based monitoring of AMR should encompass the whole food chain, supported with public health surveillance and should be conducted in accordance with ‘Zoonoses Directive’ (99/2003/EC). Such approach encompasses the integrated AMR monitoring in food animals, food and humans in the whole food (meat) chain continuum, e.g. pre-harvest (on-farm), harvest (in abattoir) and post-harvest (at retail). The information on AMR in critically important antimicrobials (CIA) for human medicine should be of particular importance

How much do superbugs cost Australian hospitals? An evidence-based open-access tool

Drug resistant “superbugs” are on the rise and pose a considerable threat. Little is known of their impact on health outcomes and costs to health services at a country-level. Local and relevant estimates that are realistic and derived with a transparent method can stimulate and inform policy responses. We describe an innovative online open-access tool, ResImpact that provides estimates of the national cost of common drug-resistant infections in Australia. Users are able to modify the proportion of five resistant organisms and be presented with an estimate of the associated healthcare costs. By translating complex economic data into a practical and user-friendly output, policy makers and other health professionals can improve their policy response for the Australian healthcare system