[Surveillance and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Norway]

Antimicrobial resistance has become increasingly prevalent in clinically important microbes since the 1970s. The global situation affects also Norway. This article reviews the surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Norway and its results in recent years.

The article is based on the author's own experience and a non-systematic literature review.

There are three systems for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in Norway: The Norwegian Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (MSIS), the Norwegian Surveillance System for Antimicrobial Drug Resistance (NORM), and the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS). Surveillance results and individual studies show that the prevalence of resistance is lower in Norway than in other countries. However, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), penicillin non-susceptible pneumococci and gram-negative enteric bacteria with extended spectrum betalactamases are present within the bacterial population in Norway.

The surveillance systems support each other and are important tools to combat antimicrobial resistance. Continued surveillance, good laboratory diagnostics, prudent antibiotic use and effective infectious disease control are necessary measures to prevent and contain antimicrobial resistance in Norway.