The evolution of antibiotic resistance in Europe, 1998–2019

A study analyzing resistance trajectories for 887 bug-drug-country combinations in Europe from 1998-2019 reveals that resistance frequencies reach a stable intermediate equilibrium after an initial increase. The majority of trajectories are stable, with 21% stabilizing and 20% increasing. Antibiotic consumption predicts the equilibrium frequency and speed of resistance. However, the study finds weak evidence that temporal fluctuations in resistance frequency are driven by hospital antibiotic consumption.