Resistance to antimicrobial agents is a major public health problem in Europe. International spread of microorganisms means that resistance to antimicrobial agents can no longer be regarded as a national problem. It is a European and global problem and requires a common strategy. Antimicrobial resistance among microorganisms that cause disease in the community and in hospital is leading to increased deaths, illness, and costs. The full extent of the problem is, however, not yet known.
All antimicrobial drugs can select microorganisms that are resistant.
There is an established but complex relation between the consumption of antimicrobial agents and the prevalence of drug resistance in microorganisms. Dissemination of resistant microorganisms occurs both in hospital and the community. The major route of transmission of resistant microorganisms from animals to man is through the food chain. Pharmaceutical companies are making great efforts to develop new antimicrobial agents and ways of countering infectious disease, and they should be encouraged to continue this important work. But such innovations cannot be expected to solve the problems in the near future.