Antimicrobial resistance study launched

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has launched surveillance to assess the extent of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in healthy people across the country.

Up to 2000 people will be invited to take part in the study and will be asked to submit stool samples and nose and throat swabs. The samples will help scientists understand more about the factors influencing bacteria in our body. It is hoped that by understanding more about the drivers of AMR in the community, we will better be able to design ways to reduce antimicrobial resistant infections.

Scientists are looking to understand more about the levels of antibiotic resistant bacteria found in the general population, including carbapenem-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBLs), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) amongst others.

The study will look at age, sex, ethnicity, and geographical location to understand if there are any key differences between different demographics, as well as considering different risk factors for AMR, including travel, diet, healthcare contact, and household transmission.

Dr Russell Hope, deputy director, AMR Division at UKHSA, said: "Antibiotic resistant bacteria can cause very severe and difficult to treat infections – killing thousands of people every year in this country and globally, as well as having a huge economic impact. However, very little is known about how commonly antibiotic resistant bacteria are found in the general ‘healthy’ population – mixed in with the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria that live in our guts.

"By understanding more about the burden of AMR in healthy people in the general population and the factors that mean someone is more likely to be carrying a resistant organism, we will be able to design better ways to tackle AMR in different populations.

"We can all take action to reduce antibiotic resistance. Please trust your healthcare professional and take antibiotics only as prescribed, never share with others and don’t save for later. Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your loved ones at risk of having an untreatable infection in future.

"Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but inappropriate usage and overuse of antibiotics can accelerate this process. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are less likely to respond to treatment, causing serious complications, including bloodstream infections, sepsis and hospitalisation, so it is important to take antibiotics only when they are prescribed and necessary for the condition.

Health minister Maria Caulfield said: "AMR is a silent killer that costs over a million lives across the world per year.

"The UK is a global leader in tackling this threat and we launched a vital Call for Evidence last year to help us shape our next 5-year National Action Plan on AMR.

"This new study will build the evidence base so we can better understand what causes AMR to help us ramp up our efforts to tackle this deadly issue."

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