​Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) are an emerging threat to healthcare. Beside the carbapenems – a last-line class of antibiotics – CPE are resistant to most other antibiotics, leaving few options for the treatment of infected patients. In an effort to assess the nature and scale of CPE spread in Europe, a group of European experts is implementing the European Survey on Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (EuSCAPE).

​On the occasion of the 6th European Antibiotic Awareness Day, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is releasing new EU-wide data on antibiotic resistance  showing a marked increase of carbapenem-resistant infections.

​Bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, some of the most common causes of food-borne infections, showed significant resistance to common antimicrobials, according to the newly published EFSA-ECDC European Union Summary Report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from humans, animals and food in 2012.

​ECDC gathered guidance documents on prevention and control of infection with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) available online, published by EU/EEA Member States, ECDC, other agencies and scientific societies.

​On the occasion of the 7th European Antibiotic Awareness Day, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is releasing its latest EU-wide data on antibiotic resistance (EARS-Net annual report and interactive database).

​On 21 May, Public Health England (PHE) reported that a retrospective investigation identified 13 patients with endocarditis, surgical site infection or disseminated infection with Mycobacterium chimaera or other Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) species within four years of surgery involving cardiopulmorary bypass.

By endorsing the new global action plan endorsed at the World Health Assembly, WHO Member States agreed to mobilise resources to ensure its implementation and committed to have similar plans at national level by 2017.

On the occasion of the 8th European Antibiotic Awareness Day, ECDC is releasing the results of the European Survey of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (EuSCAPE) on the spread in Europe’s hospitals of bacteria resistant to carbapenems. Survey also shows that national capacity for the containment of CPE in the EU is increasing.

​Bacteria in humans, food and animals continue to show resistance to the most widely used antimicrobials, says the latest report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic bacteria in Europe. Resistance to ciprofloxacin, an antimicrobial that is critically important for the treatment of human infections, continues to be very high in Campylobacter, thus reducing the options for effective treatment of severe foodborne infections. In addition, multi-drug resistant Salmonella bacteria continue to spread across Europe.

​The editorial published yesterday in Eurosurveillance highlights the current situation on the spread of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene (mcr-1). It also summarises available data from previously published articles and raises awareness about yet another threat to patient safety.