Læknablaðið - 01.06.2015, Page 31

LÆKNAblaðið 2015/101 319
ENgLISH SUMMArY
Access to safe food is a privilege for people living in Iceland. Rapid
increase in antimicrobial resistance, related to factory farming and anti-
microbial use in agriculture, is a major threat to public health. Increasing
food trade between countries and continents facilitates global spread of
pathogens and resistance. Icelandic agriculture has benefitted from its
isolation and small size.
After interventions to reduce the prevalence of Campylobacter and
Salmonella at poultry farms, the incidence of human campylobacteriolsis
is 17-43/100.000, of which about half is domestically acquired and
Salmonella infections 10-15/100.000 mainly acquired abroad. Since
Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) has not been detected in domestic
cattle, the low incidence of infections is not surprising (0-0.6/100.000/
year). A recent outbreak due to a multiresistant EHEC strain was traced
to imported lettuce. Antimicrobial use in Icelandic agriculture is among
the lowest in Europe and domestic infections caused by Salmonella and
Campylobacter are rarely caused by resistant strains. Carbapenemase
producing Enterobacteriaceae have not been found in Iceland.
Low use of antimicrobials in Icelandic agriculture and actions to limit
the spread of Campylobacter and Salmonella have been successful. The
public should be informed of the importance of the origin of food and
that Icelandic food products are among the safest.
infection risks associated with importation of fresh food in iceland
Karl G. Kristinsson1,2, Franklín Georgsson2,3
1Department of Clinical Microbiology, Landspitali University Hospital, 2University of Iceland, 3MATÍS.
key words: Fresh food, food transportation, infection risk, antibacterial resistance, antimicrobial resistance, Iceland
Correspondence: Karl G. Kristinsson, karl@landspitali.is
49. Walsh TR, Toleman MA. The emergence of pan-resistant
Gram-negative pathogens merits a rapid global political
response. J Antimicrob Chemother 2012; 67: 1-3.
50. Walsh TR, Weeks J, Livermore DM, Toleman MA.
Dissemination of NDM-1 positive bacteria in the New
Delhi environment and its implications for human health:
an environmental point prevalence study. Lancet Infect
Dis 2011; 11: 355-62.
51. Canton R, Akova M, Carmeli Y, Giske CG, Glupczynski
Y, Gniadkowski M, et al. Rapid evolution and spread of
carbapenemases among Enterobacteriaceae in Europe.
Clin Microb Infect 2012; 18: 413-31.
52. Kantele A, Laaveri T, Mero S, Vilkman K, Pakkanen SH,
Ollgren J, et al. Antimicrobials increase travelers' risk of
colonization by extended-spectrum betalactamase-pro-
ducing Enterobacteriaceae. Clin Infect Dis 2015; 60: 837-46.
53. WHO. Antimicrobial resistance. Draft global action plan
on antimicrobial resistance. Alþjóðaheilbrigðisstofnunin,
Genf 2015.
54. Rubin JE, Ekanayake S, Fernando C. Carbapenemase-
producing organism in food, 2014. Emerg Infect Dis 2014;
20: 1264-5.
55. Woodford N, Wareham DW, Guerra B, Teale C.
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and non-
Enterobacteriaceae from animals and the environment:
an emerging public health risk of our own making? J
Antimicrob Chemother 2014; 69: 287-91.
56. Matvælastofnun. Starfsskýrsla 2011. 2012. mast.is/mat-
vaelastofnun/utgafa/skyrslur/ - maí 2015.
57. Thorsteinsdottir TR, Haraldsson G, Fridriksdottir V,
Kristinsson KG, Gunnarsson E. Prevalence and genetic
relatedness of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli
isolated from animals, foods and humans in Iceland.
Zoonoses Public Health 2010; 57: 189-96.
58. Thorsteinsdottir TR, Haraldsson G, Fridriksdottir V,
Kristinsson KG, Gunnarsson E. Broiler chickens as source
of human fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli,
Iceland. Emerg Infect Dis 2010; 16: 133-5.
59. Matvælastofnun. Salmonella í hitameðhöndluðu fóðri.
mast.is/frettaflokkar/frett/2013/01/30/Salmonella-i-
hitamedhondludu-fodri/ - maí 2013.
60. Matvælastofnun. Grunur um salmonellusmit í hús-
dýrafóðri. 2013. mast.is/frettaflokkar/frett/2013/09/06/
Grunur-um-salmonellusmit-i-husdyrafodri/ - nóvember
2013.
Y F i R l i T S G R E i n