Antibiotic resistance: Gaining back lost ground

France consumes more antibiotics than many other European countries – almost 30% more than average. Shockingly, outpatient prescriptions are twice the number of those in Germany or the United Kingdom, countries of comparable socio-economic standing.

As might be expected, this high rate of usage was accompanied over time by a worryingly constant increase in antibiotic resistance; at one point, for example, Escherichia coli resistance to 3rd generation cephalosporins increased every year for 10 years. However, the strict national plan in place since the beginning of the century appears to be having effect. Since 2016, there has been a downturn in resistance in both the community and nursing homes. What is the actual situation today and how can we ensure this promising trajectory remains? We spoke with Laurent Dortet, Co-Director of the National Reference Centre for antibiotic resistance.