FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 20 2023
Contact: Jon Ebelt, Communications Director, DPHHS, (406) 444-0936, (406) 461-3757
jebelt@mt.gov
DPHHS Promotes U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week November 18-24
Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) officials are promoting U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week from Nov. 18-24, 2023.
Health officials say the annual observance provides organizations participating in the state's Antimicrobial Stewardship Program an opportunity to spotlight antibiotic use to combat the threat of antibiotic resistance.
“Antibiotics do not treat the viruses that cause colds, flu, or COVID-19,” said Erika Baldry of the Infection Control and Prevention/Healthcare-Associated Infection Section (ICP/HAI) for DPHHS. “We recommend asking your health care provider about the most appropriate treatment for you or your loved ones’ illness. If antibiotics are not needed, ask about the best way to feel better while your body fights off the virus.”
DPHHS officials state that while antibiotics are a common treatment for numerous bacterial infections, they are not always the answer.
DPHHS said there are several steps patients, caregivers, families, and health care professionals can take to improve antibiotic prescribing and use.
“Some simple steps to take include only prescribing antibiotics when necessary and for only the shortest effective duration, completing the entire prescribed antibiotic course, and only using antibiotics prescribed to you,” Baldry said.
Other steps that can be taken to reduce antibiotic resistance include being current on all vaccines, washing hands, keeping wounds clean, staying home when sick, and managing chronic conditions such as diabetes.
Baldry said when antibiotics aren’t needed, they can cause side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance. “Resistance to antibiotics does not mean that the body is becoming resistant; rather, it means that bacteria develop the ability to defeat the antibiotics designed to kill them,” she said.
Some resistant bacteria may be very difficult to treat and can spread to other people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2.8 million individuals become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria every year in the U.S., and more than 35,000 people die as a result.
DPHHS conducts testing at the Montana Public Health Laboratory (MTPHL) for antibiotic resistant organisms submitted by Montana hospitals, specifically carbapenem-resistant organisms.
Carbapenems are a type of antibiotic, and organisms resistant to these types of antibiotics are a public health concern. If an organism is carbapenem-resistant, that can limit the antibiotic options for treatment.
Antibiotic-resistant germs, including new and emerging resistance, can spread within and between health care facilities. These germs can cause infections in patients, called healthcare-associated infections, and can spread to the community or environment (soil, water).
So far in 2023 (January-early October), 57 carbapenem-resistant organisms were submitted to the MTPHL. Out of the 57 specimens identified this year, one was identified as a carbapenemase-producer, which makes it very difficult to treat due to its capability to be resistant to many different antibiotics.
In 2022, a total of 74 carbapenem-resistant samples were submitted and three carbapenemase-producers were identified.
For more information about U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week, click here.
To learn more about the Montana Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative, click here.