'Antibiotic footprint' as a communication tool to aid reduction of antibiotic consumption.

Direk Limmathurotsakul,David C Barrett,Philip Howard,Jonathan A T Sandoe,Li Yang Hsu,Marc Mendelson,Sharon J Peacock,Peter Collignon,Ramanan Laxminarayan,Michael Corley

doi:10.1093/jac/dkz185

Abstract

‘Superbugs’, bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics, have been in numerous media headlines, raising awareness of antibiotic resistance and leading to multiple action plans from policymakers worldwide. However, many commonly used terms, such as ‘the war against superbugs’, risk misleading people to request ‘new’ or ‘stronger’ antibiotics from their doctors, veterinary surgeons or pharmacists, rather than addressing a fundamental issue: the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals. Simple measures of antibiotic consumption are needed for mass communication. In this article, we describe the concept of the ‘antibiotic footprint’ as a tool to communicate to the public the magnitude of antibiotic use in humans, animals and industry, and how it could support the reduction of overuse and misuse of antibiotics worldwide. We propose that people need to make appropriate changes in behaviour that reduce their direct and indirect consumption of antibiotics.

Highlights

Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly serious threat to public health
When bacteria can stop an antibiotic from working against them, standard antibiotic treatments become ineffective and infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are associated with a higher risk of death
Antibiotics consumed by humans and animals are often excreted as active drugs, and these enter the sewage systems and water sources, where they select for antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment.[1]

Summary

Introduction

Antibiotic resistance is an increasingly serious threat to public health. When bacteria can stop an antibiotic from working against them, standard antibiotic treatments become ineffective and infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria are associated with a higher risk of death. Communication messages on antibiotic resistance should be simple,[5] and individuals need to be supported to understand that appropriate behaviour change is important to them personally.[6] In addition, antibiotics are used in large quantities in agriculture to maintain animal health, and in industry and household products for reasons largely unrelated to human health.[7]

Results

Conclusion