The National Research Programme "Antibiotic resistance" (NRP 49) intended to focus on establishing scientific strategies and new methods applicable to a prospective system of resistance monitoring and on the analysis of the current situation concerning resistance in Switzerland, in all relevant areas (human and animal populations, agriculture, foodstuffs and the environment). The mobility of resistant bacteria or resistance genes and the resulting risk for future therapies have been evaluated. Molecular studies on the emergence of antibiotic resistance provided new knowledge for the development of new antibiotics and new methods of in vitro detection. Furthermore, social, legal, ethical and economical consequences of the development of antibiotic resistance and a possible modification of rulings on the use of antibiotics have been estimated.
Final reports
Human and veterinary medicine
Occurrence of human-use antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in the aquatic environment (HUMABRA)
Prof. Dr. Walter Giger, EAWAG, Dübendorf
An interventional study to evaluate the impact of a rapid on-admission screening strategy in preventing nosocomial MRSA infection
PD Dr. Stephan Harbarth, Service Prévention et Contrôle de l’Infection, Direction médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Antibiotic resistance genes in food: Molecular identification and transfer between micro-organisms (ABRFOOD)
Prof. Dr. Leo Meile, Institut für Lebensmittel- und Ernährungswissenschaften (ILW), Labor für Lebensmittelbiotechnologie, ETH Zürich
Sentinel surveillance of antibiotic resistance in Switzerland (SEARCH)
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Mühlemann, Institut für Infektionskrankheiten, Universität Bern
Role of residual antibiotics in aquatic environments on selection and diffusion of bacterial resistances (RASDI)
Prof. Dr. Raffaele Peduzzi, Istituto Cantonale di Microbiologia, Bellinzona
Assessment of antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in long-term care facilities
Prof. Dr. Christian Ruef, Klinik für Infektionskrankheiten und Spitalhygiene, Universitätsspital Zürich
Evolution of macrolide resistance of enterococci isolated from faeces of calves fed with antibiotic contaminated milk
Prof. Dr. Melchior Schällibaum, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux, Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Nutztiere & Milchwirtschaft (ALP), Bern
Induction and spread of antibiotic resistance in livestock
Dr. Christian Stamm, EAWAG, Dübendorf
Development of an optimal strategy for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from food animals in Switzerland
Dr. Katharina Stärk Spallek, Bundesamt für Veterinärwesen (BVET), Bern
Molecular biology
Genetic basis of glycopeptide resistance in Staphylococcus aureus
Prof. Dr. Brigitte Berger-Bächi, Universität Zürich, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie
Identification of ribosomal mechanisms mediating drug resistance
Prof. Dr. Erik Christian Böttger, Universität Zürich, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie
Rapid characterisation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates for an improved drug prescription
Prof. Dr. Patrice François, Laboratoire de Recherche Génomique, Service des Maladies Infectieuses, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève
Antimicrobial resistance in Bacilli, transfer and detection
Prof. Dr. Joachim Frey, Institut für Veterinärbakteriologie, Universität Bern
Effect of teicoplanin resistance on host response to Staphylococcus aureus
Prof. Dr. Regine Landmann-Suter, Departement Forschung, Abteilung Infektiologie, Universitätsspital Basel
Targeting tuberculosis inside its host cells
Prof. Dr. Jean Pieters, Biozentrum, University of Basel
Molecular evolution of pathogenicity and resistance in Escherichia coli
Prof. Dr. Jean-Claude Piffaretti, Istituto Cantonale di Microbiologia, Bellinzona
Resistance of the fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus to antifungal agents
Prof. Dr. Dominique Sanglard, Institut de Microbiologie de l’Université de Lausanne
Overcoming intrinsic multidrug resistance to discover and expand the repertoire of antibiotics active against mycobacterial pathogens
Prof. Dr. Charles J. Thompson, Prof. Dr. Stephan Grzesiek, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Division of Molecular Microbiology
Novel approaches to detect and circumvent antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Dr. Christian van Delden, Département de Médecine, Division des Maladies Infectieuses, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire, Genève
Mechanisms of glycopeptide resistance in staphylococci
Dr. Pierre Vaudaux, Division des Maladies Infectieuses, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire de Genève
Society, law and economies
Economic analysis of outpatients’ antibiotic consumption in Switzerland
Prof. Dr. oec. publ. Massimo Filippini, Istituto di Finanza, Facoltà di economia, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano
Biological terrorism and crisis management in Switzerland – Lessons learned from the anthrax alert and steps ahead
Dr. Jan Metzger, Forschungsstelle für Sicherheitspolitik ETH Zürich
Towards judicious use of antibiotics by doctors and patients
Prof. Dr. Peter Schulz, Institute of Communication and Health, Facoltà di scienze della comunicazione, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano
Prediction and predictability of resistance to antibiotics: Studies based on coupled map lattices
PD. Dr. John Shiner, Hettiswil
Legal implications of antibiotic resistance: Analysis of Swiss legislation and comparative law (D, F, UK)
Prof. Dr. jur. Dominique Sprumont, Institut de droit de la santé, Université de Neuchâtel
Individual decision on antibiotic treatment. A case for utility assessment
Prof. Dr. Dominik Uehlinger, Klinik und Poliklinik für Nephrologie und Hypertonie, Universität Bern, Inselspital, Bern
Use of antibiotics in Switzerland: Investigation of a monitoring system
MD Giorgio Zanetti, Service of Infectious Diseases and Division of Hospital Preventive Medicine, University Hospital, Lausanne