First comprehensive Canadian antibiotic resistance web resource launched

Halifax, NS – The Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA) has launched a new web portal that is aimed at supporting and educating Canadian healthcare providers and researchers on the escalating issue of antimicrobial resistance, bacteria that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics.

The new CAN-R website (www.canr.info) was unveiled today at the joint conference of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (AMMI) Canada and the Canadian Association of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (CACMID) in Halifax.

The site brings together the most current data and information on the surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Canada, the use of antimicrobials, clinical guidelines and the latest research on infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, as well as existing and investigational treatments.

It features study findings such as the recent CAN-ICU study, which examined the prevalence of superbugs in Canadian intensive care units and identified rates higher than previously believed of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL).

Dr George Zhanel, professor with the department of medical microbiology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba, is leading the website’s development as editor-in-chief.

“This is a very exciting endeavour for Canadian researchers, since until now there has been no other single resource in Canada that provides this level of current and comprehensive information,” he says. “The rise of antibiotic resistance in Canada is of increasing concern to the healthcare community and this new tool will help them stay on top of the issues as they battle these superbugs.”