Antibiotic-resistant infections continue to rise in England

A new report describing the surveillance of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use in England has shown a continued rise in the prevalence of superbugs.

Data from the second annual report of Public Health England's English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) has shown that the overall number of antibiotic-resistant infections increased through 2014.

Rates of bloodstream infections caused by E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae increased by 15.6 percent and 20.8 percent respectively between 2010 and 2014. Streptococcus pneumoniae bloodstream infections fell by 23 percent during the same period, which may be related to increased pneumococcal vaccination rates.

Although the number of prescriptions has decreased, when measuring total antibiotic consumption in primary care there has been an increase of 6.5 percent between 2011 and 2014. 

This suggests that longer courses or higher doses of antibiotics are being prescribed in general practice, despite broad awareness of the need to reduce prescription rates.

Dr Susan Hopkins, lead author and healthcare epidemiologist at Public Health England, said: "There is a lot of work taking place to tackle antibiotic resistance, and reducing prescriptions of antibiotics is just one strand of that work. We must not underestimate how much effort is still needed to turn the tide of antibiotic resistance."