The European Union summary report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from humans, animals and food in 2014

Abstract

The data on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria in 2014, submitted by 28 EU Member States (MSs), were jointly analysed by EFSA and ECDC. Resistance in zoonotic Salmonella and Campylobacter species from humans, animals and food, and resistance in indicator Escherichia coli as well as meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus in animals and food was assessed. ‘Microbiological’ resistance was assessed using epidemiological cut‐off (ECOFF) values; for some countries, quantitative data on human isolates were interpreted in a way which corresponds closely to the ECOFF‐defined ‘microbiological’ resistance. In Salmonella from humans, high proportions of isolates were resistant to ampicillin, sulfonamides and tetracyclines, whereas resistance to third‐generation cephalosporins and to fluoroquinolones remained generally low, although it was markedly higher in some serovars commonly associated with broilers and turkeys. In Salmonella and Escherichia coli isolates from broilers, fattening turkeys and meat thereof, resistance to ampicillin, (fluoro)quinolones, tetracyclines and sulfonamides was frequently detected, whereas resistance to third‐generation cephalosporins was uncommon. For the first time, presumptive extended spectrum beta‐lactamase (ESBL)‐/AmpC‐/carbapenemase production in Salmonella and Escherichia coli was monitored in poultry. The occurrence of ESBL‐/AmpC‐producers was low, and carbapenemase‐producers were not detected. Resistance to colistin was observed at low levels in Salmonella and Escherichia coli from poultry and meat thereof. In Campylobacter from humans, a high to very high proportion of isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin and tetracyclines, whereas resistance to erythromycin was low to moderate. Resistance to fluoroquinolones in some MSs was extremely high; in such settings, the effective treatment options for human enteric Campylobacter infection may be significantly reduced. High resistance to ciprofloxacin and tetracyclines was observed in Campylobacter isolates from broilers and broiler meat, whereas much lower levels were recorded for erythromycin. Co‐resistance to critically important antimicrobials in both human and animal isolates was generally uncommon, but very high to extremely high MDR levels were observed in some Salmonella serovars. A minority of Salmonella isolates from animals belonging to a few serovars (notably Kentucky and Infantis) exhibited high‐level resistance to ciprofloxacin.

Consumer Exposure to Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria From Food at Swiss Retail Level

“…In Salmonella , main phenotypic AMR was detected against aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, penicillins, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines with high dependency of the AMR profiles on serovars. Campylobacter , although at lower prevalence, featured also macrolide resistances, which correlate with the increasing concerns regarding macrolide AMR presence and transferability (Wang et al, 2014; EFSA and ECDC, 2016). Indicator bacteria E. coli featured AMR to aminoglycosides, penicillins, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides and tetracyclines.…”

“…Enterococcus displayed AMR to a multitude of AM classes including aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, macrolides, penicillins, and tetracyclines. Systematic literature review data of food at retail therefore match the key AMRs as reported for Europe (EFSA and ECDC, 2016; Federal Office of Public Health Federal Food Safety Veterinary Office, 2016). However, existing reports and datasets focused mainly on Gram-negative and Gram-positive foodborne pathogens and indicator organisms in meat products (EFSA and ECDC, 2016).…”

“…enterica , but also indicator organisms of E. coli and Enterococcus covering AMR particularly to highest priority critically important AM such as cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and macrolides (World Health Organization, 2016). AMR surveillance reports in Switzerland and the European Union regarding zoonotic pathogens in pre-slaughter livestock poultry, pig and cattle report ampicillin, sulfonamides, and tetracycline resistances in Salmonella as well as ciprofloxacin and tetracycline in Campylobacter as highly prevalent AMRs (EFSA and ECDC, 2016; Federal Office of Public Health Federal Food Safety Veterinary Office, 2016). In this study, the major AMRs among Gram-negative foodborne pathogens were observed in Campylobacter against fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines.…”

“…Surveillance data from individual European countries are further compiled under the umbrella of the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to prepare comprehensive annual reports on AMR prevalence dynamics in key bacteria groups in animals, food (mainly raw meat) and human medicine (EFSA and ECDC, 2016). The One Health concept (Zinsstag et al, 2011) has become an integrative part of AMR surveillance in order to combine surveillance approaches, reports and interventions in human and veterinary settings.…”

“…The Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance (CIPARS) surveillance scheme takes this idea even further and proposes the additional integration of the environment, feed, companion animals, wildlife as well as food and water into their AMR surveillance program (Deckert et al, 2015). However, specific surveillance programs of food at retail level to determine the exposure of the consumer to AMR bacteria (AMRB) via food are rarely systematically implemented and mainly limited to raw meat samples in combination with human and veterinary medicine data (Federal Office of Public Health Foph Division Communicable Diseases, 2015; EFSA and ECDC, 2016). The integration of food at retail level would contribute to the identification of potential transmission pathways of AMRB between animals and humans and enable the further optimization of AMR mitigation strategies in surveillance and response systems under the One Health concept.…”