Enhancing NARMS surveillance of antibiotic resistance in retail foods in Hawaii

Project Summary/Abstract Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important issue for food safety and public health. TheNational Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Retail Food Surveillance inHawaii started in 2020. This project will continue the NARMS retail food surveillance inpopulation representative urban and rural areas in the state of Hawaii. The project?s goal ofimproving food safety and protecting public health will be achieved by undertaking thefollowing specific aims and activities. First, we will continue the NARMS retail foodsurveillance in the state of Hawaii. Starting from 2021, our sampling will cover city and ruralareas of the state. Second, we will monitor trends of AMR in different pathogens in retail meatand seafood specimens. We will collect retail meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef) and seafood(shrimp, salmon, tilapia) specimens monthly from randomly selected grocery stores in selectedcity and rural areas. We will test meat samples for Salmonella, Campylobacter (poultry only), E.coli and Enterococcus and seafood samples for Enterococcus, Aeromonas, Vibrio and otherlactose positive bacteria according to NARMS? Retail Food Protocols. Bacterial isolates will besent to FDA monthly for antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) and whole genome sequencing(WGS) (WGS of meat isolates will be done by UC Davis). Third, we will conductepidemiological studies on prevalence of AMR in retail food. We will collect store informationand metadata for each retail meat and seafood specimen and determine key links between theprevalence of bacteria and their AMR (e.g. single or multiple drug resistance) and species,origins, types, and forms of retail food, claims of antibiotics use, and seasons etc. Fourth, basedon results of this project, we will develop lay publications, outreach materials, abstracts andposters, and peer-reviewed publications. We will disseminate findings to agriculture andaquaculture communities, veterinarians, and the public via newsletters, extension workshops,presentations in meetings and conferences, and peer-reviewed journals. Fifth, we will participatein NARMS conference calls and working groups. By accomplishing these specific aims and activities, the project will characterize the trends ofAMR in retail foods in the state of Hawaii. The project will enhance NARMS Retail FoodSurveillance and increase public awareness of AMR in retail foods. The project will alsostrengthen collaborations among federal and state agencies and academia on research, detection,surveillance, and investigation of foodborne outbreaks associated with AMR in retail food.1