Pennsylvania Retail Meat Program - Collaboration With Fda National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Systems (narms)

Pennsylvania Integrated Surveillance for Antimicrobial Resistance Enteric BacteriaAbstractAntimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens of animal origin, including Salmonella andCampylobacter, is of great concern. Pennsylvania is motivated to continue to participate inNational Antimicrobial Monitoring System (NARMS) retail meat surveillance for two reasons.First, the program enables us to contribute to the FDA?s regulatory oversight for antibiotics,which directly benefits our residents. Second, this program supports integrated surveillance forenteric bacteria by comparing clinical isolates involved in foodborne illnesses with thoserecovered from meat samples. This comparison facilitates outbreaks investigation, trace-back ofcontaminated products, and prioritization of slaughterhouse inspections by USDA Food Safetyand Inspection Service. Key outcomes from our research strategy include better coordinationand exchange of data and isolates with the FDA and improved timeliness of the surveillancesystem. Additionally, our efforts have and will continue to improve data quality andcompleteness of records. Further, use of NARMS surveillance findings have improvedcommunication about judicious antibiotic use in the community and on the farm. Our researchwill include pre-approved pilot studies and all activities will be completed in state public healthand veterinary laboratories and in research laboratories at Penn State College of AgriculturalSciences.