Infographic: Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System Report 2021

Contact us: carss-scsra@phac-aspc.gc.ca

Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

Date published: 2022-04-04

Related links

• Antibiotic (antimicrobial) resistance
• Antimicrobial use (AMU) in Canada
• Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System Report 2021

In 2018, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was estimated to cause 5,400 deaths in Canada.

Between 2015 and 2019

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA, is an organism that has become resistant to commonly-used antimicrobials.
  • The rate of MRSA bloodstream infection increased by nearly 57%.
• Neisseria gonorrhoeae
  • Gonorrhoea (the second most common sexually transmitted infection in Canada) is becoming increasingly resistant to antimicrobials.
  • The rate of multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea increased by 44% between 2015 and 2019.
• Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales
  • Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) is a type of bacteria that has developed resistance to some of our most effective antimicrobials.
  • The rate of inpatients testing positive for CPE (with or without signs of infection) increased by 250%.
• Clostridioides difficile infection
  • Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), commonly referred to CDI can occur following the use of antimicrobials.
  • The rate of hospital-associated CDI decreased by 22%.
• Antimicrobial use in humans decreased by 5% between 2015 and 2019, but there are some areas of concern.
  • Community use of carbapenems (the broadest spectrum antimicrobial available) increased by 68%.
  • Use in seniors aged 80 years or more increased by 24%.
• In 2019, the largest quantity of antimicrobials was used in animals.
  • There are, however, a lot more animals in Canada than people. Adjusted for populations and weights, approximately 1.3 times more antimicrobials were sold for use in animals than people.

Sources: The Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program, the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance, the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System and the Council of Canadian Academies