Thousands of Finns suffer from antibiotic resistance

Every year almost four thousand Finnish women and a thousand men suffer from urinary tract infections which is caused by Escherichia coli, a bacteria which is resistant to many antibiotics.

About 3% of urinary tract infection in women is caused by coliform bacteria, while 6% of men's infection are caused by multi-resistant ESBL bacteria, Antti Hakanen a senior medical officer from Turku University Central Hospital told Sunnuntaisuomalainen, a regional Finnish language Sunday newspaper.

According to the report, coliform is the most common cause of urinary tract infection. The number of infections caused by its resistant forms is on the rise.

In the early 2000s, up to one third of ear infections affecting children under the age of five was caused by antibiotic resistant Streptococcus.

The situation, according to Hakanen, has improved significantly.

From the patient's point of view, resistance to antibiotic means that it becomes difficult to treat infection when the most commonly used anti-biotic fail to work.

Overall, the situation in Finland is better compared to the rest of the world, said Hakanen.

"Antibiotic resistance is a global epidemic which unfortunately is slowly advancing to Finland but with certainty," said Hakanen.