Field of activity Resistance control

When resistant organisms develop, these must be rapidly identified and their transmission and spread minimised.

Resistant organisms must be rapidly identified and prevented from spreading. In human medicine, the task is to reduce the risk of introduction when patients are admitted to a hospital or nursing home – e.g. through preliminary examinations. In veterinary medicine, the main focus is to limit the spread of resistant pathogens between herds.

The measures in this field of activity are as follows:

Prevent the entry of resistance into healthcare facilities and animal herds and its subsequent spread:
Organism- and resistance-specific measures will be taken to prevent the introduction and spread of antibiotic resistance, and the efficacy of these measures will be assessed.

Devise and implement guidelines on targeted outbreak control:
Targeted outbreak control processes will be devised for all relevant resistant organisms and implemented nationwide in all areas of healthcare.

Assess measures to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance throughout the food chain:
Measures aimed at minimising the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria throughout the plant and animal food chains will be assessed.

Reduce antibiotic resistance through the implementation of measures aimed at eliminating substance traces in waste water purification plants:
Work will be done to clarify the extent to which existing measures aimed at eliminating antibiotics from waste water are also suitable for eliminating antibiotic-resistant organisms.

You can find information on the implementation of these measures here:

Measures in the human field (in german)

Measures in the animal field (in german)

Measures in the agriculture field (in german)

Federal Office for the Environment FOEN