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<p>While we can count many successes from our 2013-18 Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
Strategy, resistance has continued to increase. In the United Kingdom we have seen
a 35% increase in resistant blood stream infections in humans from 2013-17.</p><p>The
number of bloodstream infections (BSIs) is increasing each year. Although the proportion
of antibiotic resistant BSIs remain stable year to year, the burden on resistance
increases. This is mostly due to increasing prevalence of E.coli bloodstream infections.</p><p>Estimates
of the multi-resistant cases can be made, however not all the bacteria are tested
against the same antibiotics, so a definitive number of cases cannot be given. The
Public Health England Fingertips tool also has an indicator showing the rolling quarterly
average proportion of E. coli blood specimens non-susceptible to at least three of
the key antimicrobials (gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam, 3rd-generation
cephalosporins or carbapenems). For England this is 5.5% with little fluctuation over
time.</p><p>This is exactly why the UK’s five-year national action plan for AMR, published
alongside the UK 20-year vision for AMR on 24 January 2019, includes a strengthened
focus on infection prevention and control, renewing our commitment to halve levels
of healthcare associated Gram-negative blood stream infections (mostly E.coli) by
2023-24. The plan also sets a world-first target to reduce the actual numbers of resistant
infections, with the aim to reduce them by 10% by 2025.</p><p>We are working with
the devolved health administrations to develop consistent methodologies for reporting
the incidence and mortality of key antibiotic resistant infections and antimicrobial
use to allow us to report progress on the ambitions of the AMR national action plan.</p><p>As
reductions in inappropriate prescribing also reduces the risk of promoting the growth
of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, interventions to reduce antibiotic prescribing or
transmission of the bacteria are complementary.</p><p> </p>
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