China/UK/Thailand Program on Poultry Biosafety for Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter (CUT-SEC)

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The world's population is increasing, particularly in low-middle income countries and by 2050 as a global community we will have to feed an additional 2 billion people. This population explosion will place greater emphasis on meat production, particularly poultry. It is estimated by the world bank that by 2030, China, India and SE Asia will supply 80% of the world meat trade which will include national consumption and international export. The question is - how will this be met? Poultry farming will need to intensify to meet these global needs with the inevitable increase in antibiotic consumption used in animal feeds despite reservations from world authorities (WHO, FAO etc.). The AMR prevalence in chicken is considerably higher than other animal sectors due to the use of uncontrolled animal feeds and the potential for cross-contamination, either during growth or at slaughter. We use antibiotics to fatten and increase poultry growth yield yet this too in causing serious antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now deemed to be the biggest global threat facing humanity in the 21C. AMR has taken center stage as a global health issue yet most non-specialists are unaware the impact AMR will have on global populations and the potential it has of taking the treatment of infections back to the "dark ages". Hitherto, most studies around the world studying the impact of AMR have been small, one dimensional and often biased - too focused on AMR bacteria as oppose to studying the whole bacterial population. To understand the impact of AMR in the poultry sector we have established a network in Nth Thailand and mid-Eastern China (Shandong) and will undertake a comprehensive sampling strategy to examine key human food pathogens (Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli) in farms, the environment (water, flies, wild-birds) and community (human normal flora) and infections (urinary tract infections and gastroenteritis). Our Study (called CUT-SEC) has a comprehensive sampling platform: work package (WP) 1, chicken and duck sampling from hatcheries to slaughter; WP2, flies and wild birds; WP3, water samples and seepage; WP4, domestic animals on or near farms; WP5 Normal human rectal flora; WP6 community infections. We will analyze at least 70 samples every 3 months to examine seasonal variation and sample from Nth Thailand and Shandong. Bacteria will be analyzed by basic microbiology techniques and selected to be whole genome sequenced where we can interrogate the bacteria's whole DNA and compare it to other bacteria to see if they have spread from one sector (e.g. flies) to another (e.g. humans). This study will also sequence all the bacteria in the human gut to understand the dynamics of AMR bacterial populations. We will also undertake controlled experiments in chicken farms to monitor the spread on SEC and use mathematical models to understand how AMR pathogens spread in animals and their impact on human infections. The impact of this CUT-SEC will have immense consequences for the animal, human and economic sectors in Thailand and China. Our network is well established, has a proven track record of working together in Thailand and China and expertise to undertake this exciting and challenging proposal.