NARMS Cooperative Agreement Program to Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens

SC DHEC PHL-NARMS Abstract
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC-DHEC) , Public Health
Laboratory (PHL), serves as the state public health Laboratory, working towards improving the quality of
life for South Carolinians by protecting and promoting the health of the public and the environment. The
purpose of this project is to increase surveillance for antibiotic resistance in enteric bacteria from retail
meat and seafood samples. The PHL Food Microbiology Laboratory has maintained the capacity to test
for foodborne pathogens and food quality indicator organisms for over 40 years. During this cooperative
agreement, the Food Microbiology Laboratory will maintain laboratory capacity by continuing to
implement NARMS retail meat and seafood surveillance protocols. Bacteria isolated from retail meat
and seafood samples will be characterized where appropriate by serology and by whole genome
sequencing (WGS). Results will be shared with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), and DHEC Foodborne Epidemiologists. Data will be used to drive identification of
foodborne disease outbreaks. Isolates identified will submitted to FDA-CVM for antibiotic sensitivities.
Antibiotic resistance data collected, as a result of the surveillance activities, will be analyzed and
monitored for trends. Data will be disseminated to state epidemiologist’s, and when appropriate, State
Sentinel Hospitals, and shared with the public through DHEC’s public website. These activities will
strengthen national efforts to monitor antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria isolated from
retail meats and seafood and provide data to drive public health policy and program development.