National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System using Retail Meat for Louisiana

NARMS Cooperative Agreement Program to Enhance and Strengthen Antibiotic
Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens
Agency Funding Opportunity Number: PA-20-124
Louisiana
7/1/2020-6/30/2021
Abstract
This project will involve the successful completion of the purchasing, processing, and
testing of 48 meat and seafood samples per month. ID Epi will identify, collect and
process samples within the FDA's and NARMS time constraints. Three persons from ID
Epi are dedicated to timely collections and submissions.
The increase in and improved analysis of antimicrobial resistance data specific to
Louisiana, will be scrutinized for trends and relationships, used to better inform the
agency and the public, and studied to develop policies for mitigation and/or prevention.
These activities will demonstrate the importance of the state health department in
protecting and improving the public's health.
The addition of additional target organisms and improvement of laboratory techniques,
such as the extension of whole genome sequencing to additional organisms, will permit
higher quality information and increased ability to identify related cases or outbreaks in
the past, at present, and in the future. The program will facilitate coordination with FDA
and other agencies in investigations of outbreaks. The program will also provide quality
retail meat and seafood surveillance data the FDA NARMS program can use in addition
to other states' data. This increase in quality data can be used to influence policy
regarding antimicrobial use, resistance and trends in resistance.