Research and analysis

UK public health antimicrobial resistance alerts

Antimicrobial resistance alerts (ARAs) inform microbiologists of emerging antimicrobial-resistant pathogen strains which could spread in the UK health service.

• From: Public Health England and Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 24 September 2018

Documents

Salmonella Typhi resistant to third-generation cephalosporins isolated in England from a traveller returning from Pakistan

Ref: PHE publications gateway number 2017668; HPR 11(45)

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High level azithromycin resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Ref: PHE publications gateway number 2016039.

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Details

The issuing of an ARA means enhanced microbiological surveillance should be instigated and that, whenever there is a suspicion that a resistant strain may be circulating, isolates should be sent to Public Health England’s AMRHAI laboratory for testing. Specific infection control measures may also be recommended.

Proposals for ARAs may be put forward by any interested party. Proposals should be addressed to the standing committee co-chairs via resistance.alerts@phe.gov.uk. Where proposals are based on surveillance data, an appropriate reference unit will need to confirm the resistance of relevant isolates.

The standing committee co-chairs will initially review proposals and, if deemed of sufficient public health impact, convene a standing committee teleconference to consider whether an alert is needed.

ARAs have previously been issued relating to:

• Potentially transferable oxazolidinone (linezolid and tedizolid) resistance due to optrA in Enterococcus faecalis in the UK
• Potentially transferable linezolid resistance in Enterococcus faecium in the UK (due to cfr)

Published 24 September 2018