Narms Cooperative Agreement Program to Enhance and Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens - South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

SC DHEC BOL-NARMS Project SummaryThe South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC-DHEC) , Bureau of LaboratoriesBOL), serves as the state public health laboratory working towards improving the quality of life for SouthCarolinians by protecting and promoting the health of the public and the environment. The purpose ofthis project is to increase surveillance for antibiotic resistance in enteric bacteria from retail meatsamples. The BOL Food Microbiology Laboratory has maintained the capacity to test for foodbornepathogens and food quality indicator organisms for over 35 years. During this cooperative agreementthe Food Microbiology Laboratory will increase laboratory capacity by implementing the NARMS retailmeat surveillance protocols. Bacteria isolated from retail meat samples will be characterized whereappropriate by serology and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Results will be shared with theCenter for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and DHEC FoodborneEpidemiologists and will be used to drive identification of foodborne disease outbreaks. Isolatesidentified will submitted to FDA-CVM for antibiotic sensitivities. Antibiotic resistance data collected asa result of the surveillance sampling activities will be analyzed and monitored for trends which will bedisseminated to state epidemiologists, when appropriate state sentinel hospitals, and shared with thepublic through DHEC's external website. These activities will strengthen national efforts to monitorantimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria isolated from retail meats and provide data to drivepublic health policy and program development.