Infographic: Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System Report 2021
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Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada
Date published: 2022-04-04
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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