Where does antibiotic resistance come from?
Antibiotics, substances that fight once morest the bacteria responsible for infections, began to be used on a large scale following the Second World War. They have enabled major medical advances, making it possible to treat hitherto incurable diseases and to increase human life expectancy by more than ten years. But their use frequent and sometimes unjustified (treatments too short, too long, unsuitable doses), both in human and veterinary medicine has favored the appearance of resistant bacteria to these treatments, by selecting strains capable of surviving antibiotics.
Today many bacteria are resistant to several antibiotics (multiresistance). This phenomenon calls into question efficiency available treatments and threatens human and animal health. In certain situations, no more antibiotics are effective once morest a bacterium, which leads to therapeutic impasses.
A global problem
Some resistant bacteria can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa. Bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes are also found in the environment. The fight once morest antibiotic resistance therefore requires a global approach, including humans, other animals and the environment. Preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics requires a reasoned use and and follow up scrupulous regarding their use, as well as the emergence and spread of resistance to these substances, both for humans and for animals.
What is ANSES’s role in the fight once morest antibiotic resistance?
ANSES is responsible for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in veterinary medicine, whether related to animal husbandry, food or the environment.
Monitor and study the presence of bacterial resistance in animals
The national reference laboratory on antimicrobial resistance
ANSES is National Reference Laboratory on antimicrobial resistance. As such, it monitors the resistance of bacteria that can contaminate humans via food of animal origin, as part of monitoring plans harmonized at European level.
In particular, the Agency implements annual surveillance plans, piloted by the Ministry responsible for agriculture and food, which make it possible to monitor the evolution of the situation at national and European level. The NRL also validates authorized methods for testing the resistance of bacteria of animal origin to antibiotics of critical importance for humans.
