33 000 people die in Europe every year from untreated infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This number could increase tenfold by 2050. By then, antibiotic resistance will surpass cancer as the second biggest cause of death worldwide. Without working antibiotics, we could return to a “pre-antibiotic era”, where infections from surgeries or cancer treatments, and even simple infections would no longer be possible to treat.Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics when we use the wrong antibiotic or abuse antibiotics to treat an infection. We can acquire antibiotic-resistant bacteria from eating meat from animals treated with antibiotics or by being exposed to contaminated water. Antibiotic resistance also impacts livestock, agriculture and food production, causing a serious economic burden that costs the EU €1.5 billion per year... Restrictions: ©The material may not be edited and must be shown entirely.

EPRS - Fighting antibiotic resistance