The European Union summary report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from humans, animals and food in 2021–2022

Surveillance and monitoring
This report by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control, provides an overview of the main findings of the 2021–2022 harmonised Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) monitoring in Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli from humans and food-producing animals (broilers, laying hens and fattening turkeys, fattening pigs and cattle under one year of age) and relevant meat thereof.

Executive Summary

For animals and meat thereof, AMR data on indicator commensal Escherichia coli, presumptive extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-/AmpC beta-lactamases (AmpC)−/carbapenemase (CP)- producing E. coli, and the occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are also analysed. Generally, resistance levels differed greatly between re- porting countries and antimicrobials. Resistance to commonly used antimicrobials was frequently found in Salmonella and Campylobacter isolates from humans and animals. In humans, increasing trends in resistance to one of two critically anti- microbials (CIA) for treatment was observed in poultry-associated Salmonella se- rovars and Campylobacter, in at least half of the reporting countries. Combined resistance to CIA was however observed at low levels except in some Salmonella serovars and in C. coli from humans and animals in some countries. While CP- producing Salmonella isolates were not detected in animals in 2021–2022, nor in 2021 for human cases, in 2022 five human cases of CP-producing Salmonella were reported (four harbouring blaOXA-48 or blaOXA-48-like genes). The reporting of a number of CP-producing E. coli isolates (harbouring blaOXA-48, blaOXA-181, blaNDM-5 and blaVIM-1 genes) in fattening pigs, cattle under 1 year of age, poultry and meat thereof by a limited number of MSs (5) in 2021 and 2022, requires a thorough fol- low-up. The temporal trend analyses in both key outcome indicators (rate of com- plete susceptibility and prevalence of ESBL-/AmpC-producers in E. coli) showed an encouraging progress in reducing AMR in food-producing animals in several EU MSs over the last 7 years.

Publication file

The European Union summary report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from humans, animals and food in 2021–2022

English (9.04 MB - PDF)
Related files

Annex A – Antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella spp.

English (2.61 MB - PDF)

Annex B – Data reported on antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter spp.

English (1.1 MB - PDF)

Annex C – Data reported on antimicrobial resistance in indicator commensal Escherichia coli from food-producing animals and imported fresh meat

English (548.37 KB - PDF)

Annex D – Data on presumptive ESBL-, AmpC- and/or carbapenemase-producing microorganisms and their resistance occurrence (routine and specific monitoring)

English (3.08 MB - PDF)

Annex E – Data reported on MRSA from food-producing animals and derived meat

English (723.62 KB - PDF)

Annex F – WGS data reported complementary to MIC values

English (239 KB - PDF)

Interactive tools

As in the previous years, the human food and waterborne antibiotic resistance data is published in ECDC’s Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases (under the diseases campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and shigellosis, respectively). 

An interactive data visualisation tool shows resistance levels in humans, animals and food, country-by -country in 2021 and 2022.

EFSA is also publishing several interactive communication tools: 

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