Antibiotic resistance, the “silent pandemic”

According to the latest scientific studies, antibiotic resistance could become a real scourge. The worst can still be avoided, believes Professor Marie-Cécile Ploy, who heads a specialized laboratory at the Limoges University Hospital.

Antibiotic resistance is becoming a major public health problem. In this regard, the forecasts published by the medical journal "The Lancet" in September 2024 are chilling. Indeed, researchers estimate that 1.91 million people worldwide could die from it each year.

But there are still actions to be taken, and above all, a fight to limit our consumption of antibiotics and respect hygiene rules that could curb the phenomenon. Microbiology professor Marie-Cécile Ploy directs the Resinfit research unit of the OmegaHealth Institute at the Limoges University Hospital and conducts scientific research on preventing bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Invited last week to present her state of play at a press briefing organized by ANRS-Emerging Infectious Diseases , an independent agency of Inserm specializing in the field, she described antibiotic resistance as a "silent pandemic," because it is already responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide – people who are victims of infections, sometimes benign, and whose antibiotic treatments have not been able to overcome them.

The cause: our overconsumption. The expert explains: "The latest studies show that, between 2013 and 2023, consumption in healthcare facilities in France decreased slightly, a minor but notable change. On the other hand, the country is still an overconsumer compared to the European average. Antibiotic resistance is not only generated by human excesses, it also affects animals, and there, we are seeing progress. Among those we eat, we are still seeing a 40% decrease between 2013 and 2023. But not among cats and dogs: it seems that we are as excessive with them as with ourselves."

"Antibiotic resistance is not only generated by human excesses, it also affects animals."

She then describes the antibiotic residues found in water, which can also generate new resistant bacteria. Actions have been taken since the first "Antibiotics, it's not automatic" campaigns in 2002, which slightly reduced consumption. "We need to go further," the professor claims. "For several years, France has implemented a national plan to combat antibiotic resistance, and a new interministerial roadmap 2024-2034 presents the rules for the proper use of medicines, but also a whole strategy for raising awareness, training, and communicating. Because it's also about understanding why the messages aren't being heard..." Indeed, she assures us, given our overconsumption of antibiotics, it's clear that repeated messages are falling on deaf ears. "Vaccination against the flu, in particular, reduces antibiotic consumption," she points out.

Professor Ploy pinned a pin to her chest representing the symbol of the fight against antibiotic resistance: two intertwined hearts, one white and one red, which, when joined together, form antibiotic capsules. She insists: "This fight concerns us all."