EU health agencies warn of concerning antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria

A new joint report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warns that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in common foodborne bacteria remains a significant threat to public health across Europe.  

The data, covering the 2023-2024 monitoring period, highlights a troubling trend: bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter are showing high levels of resistance to standard treatments. Of particular concern is the increasing resistance to ciprofloxacin, a critically important antibiotic used to treat severe human infections.

 In many parts of Europe, resistance in Campylobacter has become so widespread that ciprofloxacin is no longer recommended for treating human cases. While resistance levels in Salmonella from food-producing animals have remained high, the report notes a "concerning" rise in resistance within human Salmonella infections over recent years.  

The report also flagged the detection of carbapenemase-producing E. coli in livestock and meat across several countries. Carbapenems are considered "last-resort" antibiotics for humans and are strictly prohibited in animal farming. The increasing frequency of these detections has prompted calls for urgent investigation into their sources.  

The findings underscore the intricate link between animal health, food safety, and human medicine. Because these pathogens move easily through the food chain, the agencies are advocating for a "One Health" approach, a collaborative strategy that manages health risks across all three sectors simultaneously.  

Despite the warnings, the report offered glimpses of hope. Targeted interventions in several Member States have led to a significant decrease in resistance to specific drugs. Regarding Salmonella, over the last decade, resistance to ampicillin and tetracyclines dropped in humans across 19 and 14 countries, respectively. Improvements were noted in poultry, specifically regarding reduced resistance in broilers and turkeys. Resistance to erythromycin, a first-line treatment for Campylobacter, has declined in both humans and animals in several regions.  

While combined resistance to multiple high-priority antibiotics remains low across Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E. coli, progress has hit a plateau in some sectors. Specifically, declining resistance trends for E. coli in poultry have recently leveled off. Nevertheless, successful reductions in livestock resistance within several countries have helped bolster overall improvement across the EU.  

While progress is visible, experts warn that the momentum has plateaued in some areas, particularly regarding E. coli in poultry. The report concludes that to prevent a future where common infections become untreatable, Europe must maintain rigorous surveillance and promote the responsible use of antibiotics in both clinics and on farms.    

Source:  

ECDC