Fatalities from antibiotic-resistant infections triple in one decade

A study conducted by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has found that around 33,000 people a year in Europe are being killed by superbugs a year, and that fatalities from antibiotic-resistant bugs have tripled over the last ten years, from 11,000 in 2007 to 33,000.

The group branded the findings ‘worrying’, specifically the rise in infections which are resistant to the most powerful antibiotics, carbapenems.

In a statement released by the ECDC, they said “This is worrying because these antibiotics are the last treatment options available. When these are no longer effective, it is extremely difficult or, in many cases, impossible to treat infections.”

MPs recently warned that superbugs will kill a higher number of people than diabetes and cancer combined by the year 2050, unless something is done to address the issue.

The study also found that 75 per cent of infections are contracted in hospital.

Dr Alessandro Cassini, who led the study, said “Strategies to prevent and control antibiotic-resistant bacteria require coordination at EU/EEA and global level.”

He went on to say that because of variations in case numbers and the type of bacteria causing infections in different countries, control measures and prevention need to be tailored to national situations.

The government in the UK have said that they are aiming to reduce the number of unnecessary prescriptions by 50 per cent by the year 2020.

The World Health Organisation have already warned that if nothing is done, then the world is heading for a ‘post-antibiotic’ era.

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Posted by Karen Motley, Paralegal, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (karenmotley@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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