Trends in Antibiotic Consumption and Resistance in France Over 20 Years: Large and Continuous Efforts but Contrasting Results.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to humanity. This paper describes the French efforts made since 2001 and presents data on antimicrobial consumption (AC) and AMR.

Methods: We gathered all data on AC and AMR recorded since 2001 from different national agencies, transferred on a regular basis to standardized European data on AC and resistance in both humans and animals.

International harmonisation.

Like several other sectors, animal and public health face new challenges arising from the worldwide globalisation phenomenon. To this end, the 4th strategic plan specifically addresses reinforcing the capacity of Regional Representations and the network of OIE Collaborating Centres and Reference Laboratories and implementing networking approaches. A good example of achievements in this field, and of overcoming constraints and limits, can be found in veterinary medicinal products (VMPs).

Listeriosis outbreak associated with the consumption of rillettes in France in 1993.

An outbreak of listeriosis involving 38 patients occurred in France between 18 June and 5 October 1993. The epidemic clone was characterized by serovar 4b, phagovar 2671:108:312, and DNA macrorestriction patterns 12 and 13. Thirty-one case-patients were materno-neonatal patients and 7 patients were nonpregnant adults.

Investigations related to the epidemic strain involved in the French listeriosis outbreak in 1992.

Two hundred seventy-nine cases of human listeriosis (92 pregnancy-related cases and 187 non-pregnancy-related cases) caused by a serovar 4b and phagovar 2389:2425:3274:2671:47:108:340 strain were identified in France between March and December 1992. Epidemiological investigations included a case-control study (not described here) and microbiological analyses of foods. Results of the case-control study and characterization of food isolates identified pork tongue in jelly, a ready-to-eat meat product, as the major vehicle of this outbreak, and to a lesser extent, delicatessen products contaminated secondarily during handling in food stores.