The Department of Health has announced that it is making £500,000 available for new research into antibiotic-resistance bacteria. Following a report on the current level of knowledge on ESBL- producing bacteria (extended spectrum Beta lactamases), a potential threat to the treatment of serious infections, the Department believes that further research on ESBLs is urgently required.

The report, ESBLs – A threat to animal and human health?, commissioned by the Department, is produced by members of the Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection and the Defra Antimicrobial Resistance Coordinating Committee. It summarises the scientific evidence and makes recommendations that will require discussion with stakeholders.