Europe is seeing an increase in bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by difficult-to-treat drug-resistant bacteria, according to data published this week by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The data from the latest EARS-Net (European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network) report, which covers 30 European Union/European Economic Activity (EU/EEA) countries, show that the estimated total incidence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae BSIs rose by 61% from 2019 (the baseline year) through 2024, while the incidence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli BSIs increased by 5.9%.
The EU has set 2030 target reductions of 5% and 10% for the two pathogens, respectively, but ECDC says it appears unlikely those targets will be met.
BSIs caused by other bug-drug combinations under EARS-Net surveillance also saw increases, including carbapenem-resistant E coli and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. But one bright spot was that incidence of BSIs caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus fell by 20.4% from 2019 levels. As with prior EARS-Net reports, higher rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) were reported by countries in southern, central, and eastern Europe.
Not just a medical issue
The ECDC estimates AMR causes more than 35,000 deaths a year in EU/EEA countries. The organization attributes the rise in difficult-to-treat infections to an aging and vulnerable population with chronic health issues, cross-border transmission of resistant pathogens, persistent high antibiotic use combined with gaps in infection prevention and control, and a shortage of novel antibiotics.
“Antimicrobial resistance is not just a medical issue—it’s a societal one,” Diamantas Plachouras, MD, PhD, head of the ECDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections division, said in a press release. “We must ensure that no one in Europe is left without an effective treatment option.”