Verbesserte Resistenzüberwachung von Salmonellen und Kommensalen durch die AVV Zoonosen Lebensmittelkette und die Bekämpfungsprogramme für Salmonellen beim Geflügel

Resistance to antimicrobials in zoonotic bacteria and commensals is of special concern since this may compromise the effective treatment of infections in humans. To assess these risks and to identify factors with major impact, a systematic monitoring approach was established in Germany covering each of the major food production chains within a 3-year interval in 2009, 1462 E.coli isolates could be collected, covering primary production and animal derived food at retail level. Whereas the majority of isolates from layers was sensitive to antimicrobials, most isolates from broilers, chicken meat and turkey meat showed resistance to at least one antimicrobial class. Even more worrying, most of these isolates were resistant to several antimicrobial classes. Besides resistance to the commonly used antimicrobial classes, e.g. sulphonamides and tetracyclines, resistance to (fluoro)chinolones and cephalosporins was frequently observed. The observed resistance levels to (fluoro)chinolones and cephalosporins in E.coli isolates are of concern since these classes are critically important antimicrobials in human medicine. Due to the emerging pattern, this needs close monitoring and assessment. Together with continuous monitoring of the antimicrobial usage, management strategies can be continuously assessed and adapted.