The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on antibiotic resistance have so far been minor both in Finland and elsewhere in Europe
According to recent surveillance data, the situation of antibiotic resistance, i.e. bacteria resistant to antibiotics, has remained fairly stable both in Finland and elsewhere in Europe despite the corona pandemic. However, the situation varies greatly between countries. In Finland, as in other Nordic countries, the situation is better than in the rest of Europe.
In 2020–2021, the corona pandemic reduced respiratory infections in particular. The pandemic years did not significantly affect the sensitivity of resistant bacteria, i.e. their ability to react to antibiotics. In the case of many bacteria, however, it is difficult to draw conclusions due to limited testing. This is the case, for example, with pneumococci, upper respiratory tract infections, including sinus and middle ear infections, and Haemophilus influenzae bacteria, which cause common upper respiratory tract infections.
The resistance of the common cause of pharyngeal infections, Streptococcus pyogenes, to macrolides and clindamycin has increased. It is important to monitor the development of resistance, as these drugs are used in the treatment of pharyngeal infections in patients with penicillin allergies.
The spread of Acinetobacter spp. resistance in Europe is worrying
The genus of Acinetobacter includes several species of which Acinetobacter baumannii is clinically the most important. In general, Acinetobacter spp. cause infections in patients with reduced immunity. In addition, multidrug-resistant bacteria complicate the treatment of infections. Acinetobacter spp. remain easily on different surfaces, so it can be difficult to evict them from the hospital environment.
In 2021, a strong increase was observed in the number of cases and resistance proportions of Acinetobacter spp. in Europe. Resistant cases more than doubled on average for three important groups of antimicrobials: carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides. In addition, growth was observed especially in countries where the resistance situation is already difficult.
The resistance of Acinetobacter spp. to all the above-mentioned groups of antimicrobials varies between 0 and 99 percent in different European countries. The situation in Finland is good. Resistance to all three groups is 2.1% for invasive samples and 0.7% for all sample types.
“It is important to invest in appropriate control measures in order to prevent the spread of multidrug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter spp. from one country to another, for example in connection with foreign hospital transfers,” says Kati Räisänen, Senior Researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.
Antibiotic resistance reduces the efficacy of antibiotics
Antibiotic or antimicrobial resistance refers to the ability of a bacterium to defeat the antibiotic that has been earlier used for treating an infection caused by the said bacterium. Resistance weakens the effectiveness of antibiotics, which can make it more difficult to treat even ordinary infections, and treatment becomes longer and more costly.
“In the fight against antibiotic resistance, everyone can do something. The easy way to start is to ensure good hand hygiene. It can be used to prevent the spread of both bacteria and viruses,” Räisänen says.
European Antibiotic Awareness Day is on 18 November.
Further information
Antimicrobial resistance of bacteria in Finland: Finres 2021 (THL, in Finnish)
Antimicrobial resistance in the EU/EEA (EARS-Net) - Annual epidemiological report for 2021 (ECDC)
Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases (ECDC)
Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (THL)
European Antibiotic Awareness Day (THL, in Finnish)
Kati Räisänen
Senior Researcher
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
Tel. +358 29 524 7094
[email protected]
