On the occasion of the fourth annual European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD), ECDC is releasing new European-wide surveillance data showing that the percentage of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is increasing the European Union. Several Member States are now reporting that between 15 percent and almost 50 percent of K. pneumoniae from bloodstream infections are resistant to carbapenems. Carbapenems are the major last-line class of antibiotics to treat infections with multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, a frequent cause of pneumonia and urinary tract infections in hospitals.
On the occasion of the 4th European Antibiotic Awareness Day, ECDC releases new European-wide surveillance data on antibiotic resistance from the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net).
In response to antimicrobial resistance and to strengthened transatlantic cooperation as agreed during the 2009 EU and US Summit, the Transatlantic Taskforce on Antimicrobial Resistance (TATFAR) published its report today, including a set of 17 recommendations in three key areas for future cooperation in the global fight to keep antimicrobials effective.
Patient transfer between hospitals and in particular between countries, is a risk factor for the spread of bacteria that are resistant to last-line antibiotics. More specifically, for highly resistant bacteria, like carbapenamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), the risk is heightened when patients are transferred from, or have received previous medical care in areas with high rates of bacterial resistance. These are conclusions from a risk assessment produced by ECDC that evaluated the risk to the citizens of Europe, of the spread of CPE through patient transfer between healthcare facilities, with special emphasis on cross-border transfer.
A group of international experts came together by a joint initiative by ECDC and CDC, to create a standardised international terminology to describe and classify resistant bacteria.
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of New Delhi metallo-beta-lactmase-1 (NDM-1) positive bacteria in the New Delhi environment. The authors collected convenience samples of seepage and public tap water in New Delhi, India. Control material was collected at the Cardiff Wastewater Treatment Works, UK.
On the occasion of World Hand Hygiene Day, 5th May, ECDC is releasing new web pages dedicated to the Healthcare-associated Infections Surveillance Network (HAI-Net) – a European network for HAI surveillance, coordinated by ECDC.
Current trends show both progress and challenges in fighting the spread of drug-resistant bacteria in Europe according to ECDC’s analysis on the state of antibiotic resistance in Europe. Since 2008, ECDC has been coordinating the European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) – a European health initiative that promotes prudent use of antibiotics. On the occasion of the World Health Day 2011, ECDC Director Marc Sprenger presented the ‘Situation update on antibiotic resistance’ to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
This will be the first joint meeting of the EARS-Net and HAI-Net Coordination groups. The meeting will address epidemiological, microbiological and technical aspects related to surveillance and reporting of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections.