What is antibiotic resistance?
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. But their frequent and sometimes unjustified use (in the absence of bacterial infection, treatments that are too short, too long, unsuitable doses), both in human and veterinary medicine, has favored the multiplication of bacteria resistant to these treatments, by selecting strains capable of to survive antibiotics. These resistant bacteria can be transmitted from animals to humans or vice versa.
Why are antibiotics used in animal husbandry?
The use of antibiotics in animal husbandry is mainly aimed at treating sick animals. Treatments to prevent the appearance of an infectious disease of bacterial origin before the appearance of clinical signs (preventive use called prophylaxis), or to treat a group of animals following the diagnosis of a bacterial infection for one or more group animals (preventive and curative use called metaphylaxis) are highly regulated. They are only allowed when no other solution is possible to avoid infecting animals and spreading the bacteria
Antibiotics are administered under veterinary supervision and on prescription. All uses of antibiotics in animal health are subject to European regulations limiting their use, in order to limit the development of resistance to antibiotics.
Are antibiotics introduced into animal feed?
Since 2006, a European regulation prohibits the integration in animal feed of antibiotic additives intended to promote their growth. On the other hand, antibiotics for therapeutic purposes can be introduced into the diet to facilitate the oral administration of this drug to an animal or a group of animals. The latter must be the subject of a prescription, issued following a diagnosis established by a veterinarian.
What is the legislation on the use of antibiotics for pets and intended for breeding?
Entering into force in January 2022, European Regulation No. 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products increasingly strengthens the framework for the administration of antibiotics and antimicrobials to animals:
- extension of the ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters, already applied for animals produced in the European Union, to all animals and animal products imported into the EU
- compulsory veterinary prescription in all European countries for veterinary medicinal products containing antimicrobials
- restriction of the use of veterinary antimicrobial medicinal products for prophylactic purposes (administration of a medicinal product to an animal or a group of animals before the appearance of clinical signs of disease, with the aim of preventing a disease or infection breaks out)
- restriction of the use of veterinary antimicrobial drugs for metaphylactic purposes (administration of a drug to a group of animals following a diagnosis of clinical disease has been established for part of the group)
- total ban on the use in animals of certain molecules, reserved for the treatment of infections in humans, in order to preserve the effectiveness of antimicrobials
- consideration of the risk of emergence of antibiotic resistance for marketing authorizations
What are the consequences of antibiotic resistance for animals and for humans?
Today, many bacteria are resistant to several antibiotics (multi-resistance). This phenomenon calls into question the effectiveness of available treatments and threatens human and animal health. The appearance of resistance to an antibiotic has the consequence of weakening the effectiveness of this antibiotic for the treatment of infections due to the resistant bacterium in animals or humans.
In certain situations, no antibiotic is effective once morest a bacterium, which leads to therapeutic impasses.
This resistance can spread in the environment, be transmitted to other bacteria and cause cross-resistance to other antibiotics. The fight once morest antibiotic resistance therefore requires a global approach, including humans, animals and the environment. This is why actions once morest antibiotic resistance must simultaneously address human health, animal health and the environment in a “One Health” approach.
What is a critical antibiotic?
Some antibiotics are considered of critical importance for human health, because they are the only ones or among the only ones able to treat serious illnesses in human beings. This is the case for 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Their use is therefore regulated in veterinary medicine and should only be used as a last resort.
How to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance in animals?
In order to prevent and combat the spread of antibiotic resistance, precautions can be taken:
- give antibiotics to animals only under veterinary control and in accordance with the prescriptions
- reserve the use of antibiotics for situations that require it, following the recommendations for each animal species and regulatory obligations
- vaccinate animals to limit the need for antibiotics and promote alternatives to these drugs, if available
- improve hygiene and animal welfare to avoid infections
- washing hands before and following touching an animal to prevent transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from animal to human or between animals
What is ANSES’s role in the fight once morest antibiotic resistance in animal health?
ANSES is the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for antimicrobial resistance. It also coordinates a network – unique in Europe – for monitoring resistance in pathogenic bacteria of animal origin, Résapath. It is also responsible for issuing marketing authorizations for veterinary medicinal products.
The action carried out within ANSES makes it possible to:
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monitor and study the presence of bacterial resistance in animals and in foodstuffs of animal origin
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monitor exposure to antibiotics and assess the risks associated with antibiotic resistance in the context of the marketing of veterinary antibiotics
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participate in European and international reference work in the field of antibiotic resistance
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conduct research to better detect and understand antibiotic resistance
Learn more regarding all of ANSES’s actions on antibiotic resistance
On which bacteria do we monitor resistance to antibiotics in animal species?
Resapath follows a set of pathogenic bacteria in animals.
For food animals, three groups of bacteria of importance to human health are also monitored throughout the European Union:
- Salmonella, the leading cause of food poisoning in Europe
- campylobacters, the leading cause of gastroenteritis in Europe
- Escherichia coli, to estimate the reservoir of resistance in circulation
What is the level of exposure of animals to antibiotics?
Since 2011, the overall exposure of animals to antibiotics has been halved (-47% between 2011 and 2021). The objectives of the EcoAntibio plans (2012-2016), which aimed to reduce the use of antibiotics by 25% in 5 years, then of the EcoAntibio 2 plan (2017-2021), which aimed to include this reduction in the duration, have been achieved. The EcoAntibio 2 plan also aimed to halve the use of colistin, an antibiotic frequently used in veterinary medicine and reserved for severe cases in human medicine. This objective has also been achieved, since this reduction was 68.8% in 2021, compared to the reference level of 2014-2015 for the beef, pork and poultry sectors. The halving target set by the Ecoantibio 2 plan has therefore been achieved.
How has the rate of resistance to antibiotics in bacteria taken from animals evolved in recent years?
Created in 1982 and coordinated by ANSES, the Network for the Epidemiological Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance in Animal Pathogenic Bacteria (Résapath) monitors veterinary antimicrobial resistance. Since the start of monitoring, the rate of resistance to antibiotics has decreased more or less sharply depending on the animal sectors and the antibiotics.
In 2021, the trends in the evolution of antibiotic resistance remain favorable overall. With the exception of amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, a decrease or stability in resistance is observed for most antibiotics. This is particularly the case for cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones, which are of critical importance for humans and for which maintaining their efficacy is essential in human medicine. The proportion of strains resistant to these antibiotics has remained very low for several years (less than 8%). Resistance to colistin, another antibiotic of interest, also remains at low levels in all animal species.
