WRITTEN QUESTION E-1076/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(18 April 2002)

Subject: Varying degrees of resistance to Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and lack of hospital treatment as a result of quarantine

1. Can the Commission confirm that the hospital bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is only 1,5 % resistant to treatment with antibiotics in Dutch hospitals whereas in Belgian hospitals it is 30 % resistant because of the much greater use of antibiotics, and that as a result many infections caused by this bacterium are no longer treatable in Belgium?

2. Is the Commission aware that survivors of the huge fire at the cafe in Volendam in the Netherlands on 1 January 2001, who were treated in Belgian hospitals for a long period because of lack of capacity in the Netherlands, were kept in quarantine after their return to the Netherlands in the Heliomare facility in Beverwijk and that one of these patients died in July 2001 because her heart valve had been weakened by MRSA and she could not be taken to hospital for investigation and treatment because of quarantine requirements?

3. What can be done to prevent a situation in which necessary medical treatment cannot be given because of quarantine requirements?

4. How can people who fall sick during a visit to a Member State other than their home country or who have to undergo medical treatment abroad be better informed about the risks they run and how these risks can be reduced?

5. Does the Commission have figures relating to the situation in other EU Member States and in the twelve candidate countries?

6. What steps can be taken to bring down the level of resistance in Member States with high resistance and to prevent resistance increasing in those Member States with a lower level of resistance? What measures are being taken in areas with a low resistance to antibiotics to protect them against contamination from areas with a high level of resistance?

Source: Dutch TV programme Kruispunt of 17 March 2002 and Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad of 19 March 2002.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2002)

1. Since 1998 the Commission has been supporting a laboratory based European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Scheme (EARSS) on the susceptibility of blood isolates of Staphylococcus aureus. For the period 1999-2001 EARSS reported a proportion of 21-23 % blood isolates of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for Belgium and 0,1-0,3 % for the Netherlands. The Commission does not have sufficient information to explain the reasons for this difference. An important step to link the resistance development to the use of antimicrobial agents has been taken with the support of the ESAC project (see 6).

2. No, the Commission is not aware of the facts described.

3. and 4. The Commission is not in a position to comment on health care issues that fall within the responsibility of the Member States.

5. Yes, see 1. Tables of the EARSS susceptibility data for Staphylococcus aureus since 1998 for 23 countries are downloadable from the EARSS web site(1).

6. The global increase of antimicrobial resistance has been recognised as a major public health problem throughout the Community. The Commission' Communication On a Community strategy against antimicrobial resistance(2) described a comprehensive strategy to fight antimicrobial resistance comprehensively in all sectors concerned. An important part of that strategy are actions on the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in human therapy to be implemented by the Commission and Member States. Since November 2001 the Commission has supported a European surveillance project on antimicrobial consumption (ESAC) to develop a Community data base for action. At the same time the Council adopted a Recommendation(3) addressing the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in human therapy on the basis of a Commission proposal(4). The implementation of the action plans in the Communication and of the suggestions in the Recommendation should contribute to the solution of this problem. In any event, the Commission shall keep matters covered by the Recommendation under review, with a view to its revision and updating, and submit regular reports to the Council on the basis of the reports submitted by the Member States.

(1) www.earss.rivm.nl.

(2) COM(2001) , 333 final, Volume I.

(3) OJ L 34, 5.2.2002.

(4) COM(2001) , 333 final, Volume II.