European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net)

Ireland contributes to European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net), previously the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (EARSS), which is the largest publicly funded system for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in Europe. Data from EARS-Net play an important role in raising awareness at the political level, among public health officials, in the scientific community, and among the general public. Public access to descriptive data (maps, graphs and tables) are available through the ECDC Surveillance Atlas of Infectious Diseases; more detailed analyses are presented in annual reports and scientific publications.

The objectives of EARS-Net are to:

• collect comparable, representative and accurate AMR data;
• analyse temporal and spatial trends of AMR in Europe;
• provide timely AMR data for policy decisions;
• encourage the implementation, maintenance and improvement of national AMR surveillance programmes; and
• support national systems in their efforts to improve diagnostic accuracy by offering annual external quality assessments (EQA).

- EARS-Net data on antimicrobial resistance in Ireland

- EARS-Net enhanced surveillance reports for Ireland

- EARS-Net (ECDC website)

Last updated: 27 March 2018