HUMAN and animal health is under increasing threat from bacterial resistance to antibiotics, prompting a new EU action plan to combat the problem – which is likely to seek further reductions in farm antibiotic use.

According to the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control's latest report on AMR, infections caused by resistant bacteria are leading to around 25,000 human deaths in the EU every year.

EU commissioner for health and food safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, said: “Antimicrobial resistance is an alarming threat putting human and animal health in danger. We have put substantial efforts to stop its rise, but this is not enough. We must be quicker, stronger and act on several fronts. This is why the Commission will launch a new action plan this summer that will give a new framework for future coordinated actions to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance.”

The report shows that multi-drug resistance in salmonella bacteria is high across the whole EU. Salmonellosis, the disease caused by these bacteria, is the second most commonly reported foodborne disease in the EU.

ECDC chief scientist Mike Catchpole said: “Prudent use of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine is extremely important to address the challenge posed by antimicrobial resistance. We all have a responsibility to ensure that antibiotics keep working.”

The report also found that antimicrobial resistance levels vary by geographical region, with countries in northern and western Europe generally having lower levels of the problem than those in southern and eastern Europe.

EFSA’s biological hazards and contaminants unit chief Marta Hugas observed: “These geographic variations are most likely related to differences in antimicrobial use. Countries where actions have been taken to reduce, replace and re-think the use of antimicrobials in animals show lower levels of antimicrobial resistance and decreasing trends.”