UBA Calls for Stricter EU Regulations to Combat Environmental Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic resistance, a significant threat to human health, particularly in hospitals, is increasingly found in the environment. The German Environment Agency (UBA) has raised concerns about antibiotic residues promoting resistance development. President Maria Krautzberger has called for stricter EU regulations and monitoring.
The UBA recommends the EU legislator to mandate an environmental assessment for already approved veterinary medicines lacking such data. It also demands an EU-wide, mandatory monitoring of certain antibiotics and other problematic drug substances in various environmental locations. Key hotspots include wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, large-scale animal farms, and pharmaceutical manufacturing sites, where multidrug-resistant bacteria like E. coli, Klebsiella, MRSA, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella, and Enterococcus have been found.
The UBA wants to introduce a comprehensive monitoring program for problematic drugs in waters and soils. It has launched an internet portal, 'Veterinary medicines in the environment', offering practical measures for veterinary staff and farmers to minimize antibiotic entry into the environment. The UBA emphasizes the importance of environmental assessments for antibiotics, as they can promote the formation of resistant pathogens in soils and waters. Antibiotics and resistant pathogens from animal husbandry can enter water and soil via manure and slurry, contributing to the natural emergence of resistances.
The UBA's recommendations aim to tackle the growing issue of antibiotic resistance in the environment. By promoting stricter regulations, mandatory monitoring, and practical measures, the UBA seeks to minimize the environmental impact of antibiotics and reduce the formation of resistant pathogens.
