PROGRAMS FOR MONITORING ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

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Abstract
Use of antimicrobials has increased in both human and veterinary medicine and the emergence of resistance to antimicrobials has become a global problem. This is due, in part, to the widespread availability of antimicrobials and the efficacy they impart in control of certain infectious diseases. Antimicrobial resistance (AR) can diminish the effectiveness or render an antimicrobic ineffective as a therapeutic. Although use may result in bacteria (both food borne and commensal) that are resistant, the exact fate of these populations in terms of persistence and transmission has been difficult to determine. Use patterns in veterinary medicine (therapeutic vs. subtherapeutic use) and agriculture further complicates the picture. Additionally, while transmission of resistant bacteria from animals to humans occurs, it has been difficult to assess the extent to which this occurs and the impact transmission has on actually disseminating resistant populations among humans.