NORM/NORM-VET 2016 - Usage of Antimicrobial Agents and Occurrence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Norway

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem worldwide. It reduces the effectiveness of antimicrobial treatment of infectious diseases in humans and animals thereby leading to increased morbidity and mortality, as well as higher costs. It is well established that there is a strong association between the usage of antimicrobial agents and the occurrence of resistance, The selective pressure exerted following use of antimicrobial agents is a key issue in the epidemiology of resistance. Moreover, resistance can be disseminated through the spread of resistant pathogenic bacteria themselves or by horizontal transfer of resistance genes from one type of bacteria to another. Such transfer is not limited to closely related bacteria; it can also take place between bacteria of different evolutionary origins and/or ecological niches. Thus, antimicrobial drug usage and resistance in one ecological compartment can have consequences for the occurrence of resistance in another compartment. When addressing antimicrobial resistance - the occurrences, causes, consequences and preventive measures - a holistic approach is needed, encompassing both data on usage and resistance in human and veterinary medicine, as well as microbes in food production.

Dette er den syttende felles rapporten fra Norsk overvåkningssystem for antibiotikaresistens hos mikrober (NORM) og Norsk overvåkningsprogram for antibiotikarsistens i mikrober fra fôr, dyr og næringsmidler (NORM-VET). Rapporten presenterer data om forekomst av antibiotikaresistens og forbruk av antibiotika til mennesker og dyr i 2016. Data fra relevante prosjekter som ikke er med i de kontinuerlige overvåkingsprogrammene, presenteres også.</br> Både NORM og NORM-VET ble etablert som deler av Regjeringens tiltaksplan mot antibiotikaresistens som ble offentliggjort i 2000. NORM koordineres av Avdeling for mikrobiologi og smittevern, Universitets-sykehuset Nord Norge i Tromsø. NORM-VET koordineres av Veterinærinstituttet i Oslo. Programmene utgir en felles årsrapport.