Risks

L’antibiorésistance : tous concernés

Antibiotic resistance... it affects us all!

Antibiotic resistance, i.e. a bacterium’s resistance to one or more antibiotics, has consequences for human health (an estimated 4,480 deaths and more than 103,000 infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in France in 2019).

 

In animal health care – whether pets or farm animals – antibiotic resistance can lead to missed opportunities for treatment, the risk of animal suffering, and reduced productivity in livestock farming.

 

Human, industrial and agricultural activities, through their respective effluents, release resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues into the environment (soil, water, air, flora and fauna), thereby disrupting microbial ecosystems and microbiomes.

 

All living beings are likely to come into contact with resistant bacteria.

The impact of antibiotic-resistant infections

In the event of an infection, humans and animals rely on their innate immune system. However, if the immune system is unable to cope effectively with the infection, antibiotics are needed.

 

A generic antibiotic will be ineffective if the bacteria have developed resistance to it.

 

This situation results in significant costs.

The cost for the individual…

due to possible delays in starting the right antibiotic treatment, the need for additional tests/healthcare/treatment, the risk of clinical complications (suffering, disability, death), and a general decline in wellbeing

The cost for society…

due to the need for more expensive antibiotics, the potential spread of antibiotic resistance (between people, animals and the environment), and the loss of productivity

A global challenge: the misuse of antibiotics 

The misuse of antibiotics, and in particular their overuse, brings with it a number of risks.

For individuals…

side effects or adverse reactions associated with the antibiotic in question, disruption of the gut microbiota, and the development of resistant bacteria

For society as a whole…

acceleration in the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance worldwide, through human-to-human, animal-to-animal and human-to-animal contact; release of antibiotics into the environment; antibiotic residues in the environment