Deaths due to antibiotic resistance (FOI)

​Request

A

I would like to know if anyone in Jersey has died as a result of an antibiotic resistant infection in the past five years, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and so far this year.

B

I would like to know if there has been an increase in the number of antibiotics becoming resistant in the Jersey in the past five years, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and so far this year.

Response

For the period from 2012 to date:

A

There have been no deaths as a result of micro-organisms causing infection against which we could not use antibiotics.

B

There is an increasing burden of antibiotic resistance globally. We interact with the rest of the world at a number of levels – for example movement of people and food. We would therefore expect that the organisms we see locally to reflect this. However we try hard to minimise their spread and in general our resistance rates are lower than elsewhere.

There continues to be a background level of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) but the average MRSA bacteraemia rate since 2012 is 0.2 per annum for the hospital and 1.2 per annum for the community.

The definition of multi resistant gram negative organisms is not established but all agree that extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) would be classified as multi-resistant. The bacteraemia rate due to ESBL organisms has been on average 2.4 per annum since 2012 – all community acquired. No upward trend has been observed over this period.

There have been no infections with the even more resistant carbapenamase producing gram negative organisms. Additionally screening has not detected carriage of these organisms.

We have not had multidrug resistant tuberculosis or fungal infections.

The threat of antibiotic resistance is ongoing and the need to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics in medicine and in farming is well recognised globally. Hence the drive to ensure individuals are aware that antibiotics are not always needed and should only be used if medically indicated. This, together with the prevention of transmission of resistant organisms and finding better ways of diagnosing and preventing infection will reduce the burden of antibiotic resistance. New antibiotics and new therapeutic modalities continue to be sought.