Last month the 2nd UK One Health Report was published. This reports on both human and animal antibiotic use, sales and resistance during 2013. Professor Jacqui Reilly was one of the report contributors. It aims to encourage further joint working between human & animal sectors, identify the emerging and current antibiotic resistance threats, identify differences in surveillance methodology and data gaps, evaluate available data and assess the relationship between antibiotic sales, use and resistance across the two sectors and finally develop recommendations to improve the surveillance of antibiotic use and resistance in humans and animals
For the three bacteria in this report (Escherichia coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella), significant resistance is identified from human and animal surveillance across a wide range of antibiotics. The report’s recommendations include those for public health and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Public health recommendations include that:
- Public health organisations should work with clinical laboratory colleagues to ensure that all Salmonella species are sent to the relevant reference laboratories for speciation and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
- Public health organisations should scope the development of a national sentinel surveillance system for Campylobacter isolates collected from human infections.
- Public health organisations should support the work of professional organisations to transition UK clinical laboratories to a single standardised nationally agreed methodology for routine antibiotic testing in 2016.
- Public health organisations should work with professional organisations to develop guidance related to recommended antibiotic and bacterial combinations, which should be tested and reported by clinical laboratories for key One Health pathogens.
- Human public health reference laboratories should follow the EU protocol for harmonised monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in human Salmonella and Campylobacter isolates.
- Public health organisations should explore data available on human sales of antibiotics from manufacturers and holders of human antibiotic marketing authorisations. UK One Health Report 14
- Public and professional One Health activities should be enhanced through engagement with the European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) campaign and aligning training programmes for human and animal health professionals.
The full report by HM Government can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447319/One_Health_Report_July2015.pdf
