Mapping Antibiotic Resistance

[indigo girl]

cddep: mapping resistance

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2011/09/cddep-mapping-resistance.html

online web tool resistancemap shows latest regional and global trends in antibiotic resistance

washington, d.c.--the united states lags behind many western european nations in controlling the spread of certain drug-resistant microbes or "superbugs," according to resistancemap, an interactive web-based tool that tracks drug resistance in north america and europe.

the latest iteration of resistancemap was launched today by extending the cure, a washington, d.c.-based research project that studies the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. the maps offer a comprehensive way to visualize global antibiotic resistance trends and identify top-performing countries and u.s. regions as well as those where antibiotic resistant infections are severe. such infections can result in long hospital stays and high treatment costs-if they can be treated at all.

the global maps show that despite significant gains in limiting the spread of hospital acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (mrsa), the united states still has one of the highest mrsa rates in the northern hemisphere--putting it far behind other developed european countries. nearly 52 percent of reported staph samples in the united states are resistant to treatment with methicillin, penicillin and closely related antibiotics, compared to just 1 percent in sweden.

"with this tool, public health officials, researchers, and others can see the progression of antibiotic resistance in the united states and worldwide," said ramanan laxminarayan, ph.d., director of extending the cure. "by mapping the geography of resistance, we can better identify regions at risk for outbreaks," he said. "in addition, this map allows us to look for solutions and pinpoint regions of the world where infection control practices have been particularly successful."

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