title: Overview of e-Bug: an antibiotic and hygiene educational resource for schools.
abstract: Antibiotic resistance is an increasing community problem and is related to antibiotic use. If antibiotic use could be reduced, the tide of increasing resistance could be stemmed. e-Bug is a European project involving 18 European countries, partly funded by The Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) of the European Commission. It aims to develop and disseminate across Europe a junior and senior school teaching pack and web site (hosting the lesson plans and complementary games) that teach young people about prudent antibiotic use, microbes, transmission of infection, hygiene and vaccines. The aim of e-Bug is to increase young people's understanding, through enjoyable activities, of why it is so important to use antibiotics correctly in order to control antibiotic resistance, and to have good hand and respiratory hygiene to help reduce the spread of infection. Within the senior school pack the sexual transmission of infections has also been included, as the peak age of chlamydial infection is in 16-24 year olds. Teachers, young people and the consortium of 18 countries were closely involved with agreeing learning outcomes and developing the resource activities. Young people helped create the characters and microbe artwork. The resources have been translated, adapted for and disseminated to schools across 10 countries in Europe, and endorsed by the relevant government departments of health and education. The web site has been accessed from >200 countries. The resources will be translated into all European Union languages, and have been used to promote European Antibiotic Awareness Day and better hand and respiratory hygiene during the influenza pandemic in 2009.
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency Primary Care Unit, Microbiology Department, Gloucester Royal Hospital, Great Western Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL1 3NN, UK. cliodna.mcnulty@hpa.org.uk
authors.forename: Cliodna A M
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lecky
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Patty
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kostkova
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adriaenssens
authors.forename: Tereza
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koprivová Herotová
authors.forename: Jette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Touboul
authors.forename: Kyriakoula
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Merakou
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koncan
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olczak-Pienkowska
authors.forename: António Brito
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Avô
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005060:Europe; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000193:education*; D020407:Internet; D008829:Microbiology / Q000193:education*; D012574:Schools / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents