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'Antibiotic footprint' as a communication tool to aid reduction of antibiotic consumption

Direk Limmathurotsakul1,2,3, Jonathan A T Sandoe4,5, David C Barrett6

  • 1Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.

The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
|May 11, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic resistance is a major concern. The "antibiotic footprint" concept helps communicate antibiotic use, promoting behavioral changes to reduce overuse and misuse in humans and animals.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Microbiology
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Antibiotic resistance, driven by 'superbugs', is a global health crisis.
  • Media coverage often focuses on 'new' antibiotics rather than addressing overuse.
  • Current communication methods fail to convey the scale of antibiotic consumption.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce the 'antibiotic footprint' as a public communication tool.
  • To illustrate the magnitude of antibiotic use across human, animal, and industrial sectors.
  • To support global efforts in reducing antibiotic overuse and misuse.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptualization of the 'antibiotic footprint' metric.
  • Analysis of antibiotic consumption patterns in various sectors.
  • Proposal for behavioral changes to reduce antibiotic consumption.

Main Results:

  • The 'antibiotic footprint' offers a tangible measure of antibiotic use.
  • It highlights the widespread nature of antibiotic consumption.
  • It provides a basis for public engagement and behavioral modification.

Conclusions:

  • The 'antibiotic footprint' can effectively communicate antibiotic use to the public.
  • Reducing direct and indirect antibiotic consumption requires behavioral changes.
  • This tool can aid in mitigating the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.

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