[The situation concerning antibiotic resistance from the viewpoint of the bacteriologist]

Already fifty years ago, when antibiotics were introduced, their effectiveness was challenged by certain bacteria which had the ability to resist the bacteriocidal effect of the antibiotics. Development of such resistance is due to selection pressure that results from the use of antibiotics in therapy, particularly in human medicine. In Switzerland, the veterinary public health aspect of this problem has become of current interest. The ban on the use of growth promoters has triggered the need for an update of the statistical information on the phenomena of resistance and the setting up of a surveillance system of antibioresistance in animals and in products of animal origin.