Antibiotic-Resistant Infections Rise in England After Covid Drop

(Bloomberg) — Cases of antibiotic-resistant infection increased in England last year, along with the number of related deaths, as experts warn that overuse and overexposure to antibiotics are helping breed resistant bacterial strains. 

The number of people diagnosed with antibiotic-resistant infections increased 4% in 2022, according to a report from the UK Health Security Agency. That comes as some forms of bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae which causes sepsis, are becoming increasingly resistant to a range of antibiotics typically used as first-line treatments. 

During the pandemic lockdowns the number of infections among the wider population fell, with a corresponding decrease in antibiotic prescriptions. Antibiotic resistance fell as well during this period. After lockdowns ended, infection numbers rebounded and antibiotic prescriptions rose, though they remain below pre-Covid levels.

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Of all bloodstream infections detected, Asian or Asian-British ethnic groups accounted for almost double the proportion of antibiotic-resistant infections compared with White ethnic groups, the report found.

Bacteria pass more easily between individuals in close-knit communities, said Colin Brown, deputy director for antimicrobial resistance at the agency, and the disparity between ethnic groups may also be partly linked to individuals picking up bacteria already resistant to antibiotics while abroad. 

Temporary changes to prescribing thresholds during recent infectious outbreaks, such as the UK’s Strep A outbreak last year, were also likely to have been a factor behind the uptick in antimicrobial resistance, said Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the UK’s Royal College of General Practitioners.

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