A UK study has demonstrated that interventions to reduce respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections could help to reduce antibiotic prescribing and therefore antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is recognised as one of the biggest threats to public health globally.
The new analysis from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Imperial College London and Oxford Population Health found that RSV infections lead to 640,000 antibiotic prescriptions a year.
RSV is characterised by several mild, cold-like symptoms. Although most people can recover within a week or two, it can cause severe illness in certain groups, including young infants and older adults. Despite antibiotics not working for viruses, they are sometimes prescribed when it is not possible to determine if the infection is bacterial or viral.
After examining data from general practice antibiotic prescriptions alongside laboratory-confirmed respiratory infections from 2015 to 2018, the research team found that approximately 2.1% of antibiotic prescriptions in English GPs were attributable to RSV infections, with the largest number prescribed to those aged over 75 years.
The research, funded by the Medical Research Foundation and National Institute for Health and Care Research, follows the launch of a national RSV vaccination programme in September.
The new initiative includes a vaccine for pregnant women over 28 weeks to help protect their babies, a routine programme for those aged over 75 years and a one-off campaign for people aged 75 to 79 years.
The UK government also launched a new five-year national action plan aimed at tackling AMR, responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019, earlier this year.
Although AMR occurs naturally, inappropriate and excessive use of antimicrobials can accelerate the process, and the new action plan commits the UK to reducing its use of antimicrobials, including antibiotics, antifungals and antivirals.
Lucy Miller, co-author of the new study and Modeller at UKHSA, said: “To tackle antibiotic resistance we need to ensure antibiotics are being used only when necessary. But we also need to drive down infections, to reduce the need for antibiotics in the first place.
“This study highlights that the introduction of the new RSV vaccine programme could not only help reduce the risk of infections in vulnerable individuals, but also contribute towards a reduction in antibiotic prescribing and antibiotic resistance in the population overall.”