CIPARS 2009 - Annual Report

Summary

2009 Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Report

The Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance (CIPARS) tracks selected bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract of people and animals in order to understand trends in antimicrobial (drugs used to treat infectious diseases) use and resistance. The 2009 CIPARS Annual Report highlights CIPARS activities in tracking antimicrobial use and resistance over time and across different regions in Canada. Highlights of the report include information about antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from people, cattle, chickens, pigs, turkeys, horses and animal feed, and antimicrobial use in humans and animals.

Of particular importance to public health, antimicrobials that are considered of very high importance to human medicine (Category 1) continue to be used in food animals and resistance to some of these drugs continues to increase. In 2009, nearly 30% of Campylobacter isolates recovered from retail chicken in British Columbia were resistant to ciprofloxacin (a critically important antimicrobial). In Québec, ceftiofur resistance in E. coli from retail chicken showed a continued rise when compared to previous years. Similar trends were found for other important antimicrobials in various food animals in Canada.

The overall use of antimicrobials in people in 2009 was similar to what we reported in 2008, but the total amount of money spent on the drugs increased. Category 1 antimicrobials made up a high percentage of the total amount of antimicrobials used by people.

Overall use of antimicrobials in animals (quantity of drugs distributed for sale by pharmaceutical companies) in 2009 was lower than in 2006, and slightly higher than the numbers reported in 2008, however this does not account for any underlying changes in the Canadian animal population. Data about use practices on pig farms showed that antimicrobials were more commonly given through feed and injection than through water. Ceftiofur, a Category 1 antimicrobial, continues to be used in pigs but is the only Category 1 antimicrobial used in participating herds.

To view the full report, please visit Publications.gc.ca.