2024-05-06 22:00:00
This article is reproduced from dialogue sous licensed under Creative Commons. liraOriginal article.
Antibiotic resistance, a threat to public health
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines bacterial resistance to antibiotics or antibiotic resistance as One of the major threats to human health.
Just in France, every year, About 4,500 people die from multidrug-resistant bacterial infectionswhich means it is resistant to many antibiotics. There are these in the world Nearly 1.3 million people died from such infections in 2019more deaths than malaria or HIV.
antibiotic resistance phenomenon Impair the effectiveness of antibiotic treatmentendangering human and animal health. Specifically, this means that infections caused by bacteria that cannot be treated with existing antibiotics are very likely to result in death when the infection is severe.
Generally speaking, when bacterial infections become resistant to antibiotics, care tends to take longer and sometimes requires hospitalization.
Furthermore, antibiotic resistance increases the risk of sequelae associated with infections, as infections become more difficult or even impossible to treat.
What do pets have to do with antibiotic resistance?
A single dose of antibiotic is enough Selecting drug-resistant bacteria in our microbiotafor example in the intestinal flora. Once we become “carriers” of this resistant strain, we don’t necessarily notice it: we don’t always get sick, and the bacteria usually just live like other bacteria in our bodies.
The problem is that bacteria, whether resistant or sensitive to antibiotics, circulate… they Continuous transmission between humans, animals (pets or livestock) and the environment (soil, water, various surfaces, etc.). Therefore, you can share antibiotic-resistant bacteria with your pets, and they can do the same to you.
As a result, some pig farmers find themselves carrying staph bacteria that are multi-resistant to antibiotics, which can be passed on to them. through contact with their animals. In contrast, human multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been transmitted given by owners to their dogs.
The fact that antibiotic resistance can spread between animals and humans has been confirmed by a study Latest reports from European agencies.
For humans and animals, antibiotics can be taken at home or while in the hospital. Resistant bacteria can then be spread among family members (human or animal), during various contacts within the hospital or veterinary clinic, and even after hospital discharge.
Who uses the most antibiotics? Human or animal?
In France, contrary to the still popular belief, animals (pets or farm) consume less antibiotics than humans. But this is not always the case: this situation is the result of more than 20 years of intensive efforts in the field of veterinary medicine, especially in Ecoantibio 1 and 2 Ministerial Plan and European regulations.
In France, human consumption of antibiotics has also declined, although not as significantly as animal consumption.
But it is worth noting that the significant decline in veterinary antibiotic consumption in France mainly involves farm animals. For pets, the purpose remains essentially the same. that’s why Ecoantibio 3 Ministerial PlanLaunching in November 2023, special efforts are required for dogs, cats and horses.
However, at the global level, the situation is somewhat different. There is no doubt that the use of antibiotics in animals In recent years, there has been an overall downward trendbut many countries still use antibiotics as livestock growth promoters. Countries in the European Union (EU) have banned this practice since 2006 and have extended this ban through Regulation 2019/6, which comes into force on January 28, 2022, with Article 118 requiring imports into the EU. Products must meet the following criteria: Come from animals that have not been treated with growth-promoting antibiotics.
Practical advice to limit the risk of transmission
Some simple, everyday actions can reduce the risk of infection and antibiotic resistance in humans and animals:
Check if it Vaccination The data on his animals are up to date; avoid bites and scratches whenever possible, which can lead to infection (which may need to be treated with antibiotics). If you are still bitten or scratched by an animal, the best response is to disinfect the wound immediately and then seek advice from a health professional; make sure you have good hand hygiene (washing or rubbing) after contact with animals, animal food, or animal feces. This is also to reduce the risk of infection and limit the spread of bacteria; remember that any antibiotic ingested by humans or animals has the potential to select for resistant bacteria and spread them to those around them; therefore, special care should be taken during and after taking antibiotics Practice good hand hygiene; return leftover antibiotics to the pharmacy or veterinarian to avoid contaminating the environment; do not self-medicate or share antibiotics with your loved ones or pets (or vice versa), as antibiotic treatments need to be tailored to the individual case.
All these simple reactions, applied every day, allow everyone in France and elsewhere to help themselves, their loved ones and their animals maintain the effectiveness of antibiotics now and for future generations. Achieving this goal means Real social, political and health challengeseveryone must feel cared about.
In fact, humans and animals alike, at some point in our lives we may need to resort to antibiotics to treat bacterial infections, which if not treated optimally can have serious consequences for our health.
The author of this article is Celine Pucciniprofessor of medicine, infectious disease expert, University of Lorraine wait Jean Yves MadecANSES Scientific Director, Antibiotic Resistance
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