What is ANSES’s role in the fight once morest antibiotic resistance?
The Agency monitors the use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine, monitors and studies resistance to antibiotics in animals and authorizes the marketing of safe and effective veterinary antibiotics.
Track antibiotic use in animals
Each year, ANSES publishes a report on the monitoring of sales of veterinary medicinal products containing antibiotics in France. In addition to the ANMV, which is responsible for monitoring sales of antibiotics in veterinary medicine and calculating indicators, the ANSES laboratories in Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort and Lyon also carry out occasional surveys on farms to collect descriptive data on the prescription and use of antibiotics.
> Consult the 2018 Veterinary Drug Sales Tracking report (PDF)
Monitor and understand the presence of bacterial resistance in animals and food
ANSES is the National Reference Laboratory for antimicrobial resistance, and as such it monitors the resistance of bacteria in the food chain within the framework of monitoring plans harmonized at European level. It also coordinates a network – unique in Europe – for monitoring resistance in pathogenic bacteria of animal origin, Résapath.
> Consult the Report of the Epidemiological surveillance network for antibiotic resistance in animal pathogenic bacteria (RESAPATH) – 2018 report (PDF)
> Find out more regarding Resapath
Authorize the marketing of safe and effective veterinary antibiotics, then monitor them
The National Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products (ANMV) within ANSES authorizes the marketing in France of antibiotic veterinary medicinal products. In this context, it assesses their quality, their effectiveness and their harmlessness for the animal, for the consumer and for the environment, taking into account the particular risk of selection of resistant bacteria.
> Consult the Veterinary medicinal products post-MA report (PDF)
Results for 2018
Antibiotic resistance surveillance data in bacteria of animal origin
Rezapath
- The downward trends in the resistance of bacteria to critical antibiotics are confirmed.
- Regarding colistin, the data show a situation under control over the last ten years, with a constant decline in resistance to this antibiotic.
- In 2018, more than 55,401 antibiograms were collected by the network.
Resistance of bacteria in the food chain
- Strong reduction in the prevalence of bacteria E. coli Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC in chicken meat sold in France: 26% in 2018 compared to 62% in 2016.
- This 58.3% reduction exceeds the target set by the Ecoantibio² plan (2017-2021) of a 50% reduction in 5 years in the prevalence ofE. coli ESBL on poultry samples (broilers) at the distribution stage.
Monitoring of sales of antibiotic drugs in veterinary medicine
- It indicates a 5.5% drop in sales compared to 2017 with the lowest volume (471 tonnes) recorded since 1999.
- The overall exposure of animals to antibiotics, following a significant and continuous decline since 2011, increased by 0.7% between 2017 and 2018. It seems that the reduction in use has reached a limit for certain families of antibiotics and it is advisable to be vigilant on the evolution of this trend.
These results are therefore on the whole very positive, but indicate that limits may have been reached for certain families and underline that efforts for the prudent and reasoned use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine must be continued.