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

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SC DHEC BOL-NARMS Project Summary The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC-DHEC) , Bureau of Laboratories BOL), 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 samples. The BOL Food Microbiology Laboratory has maintained the capacity to test for foodborne pathogens and food quality indicator organisms for over 35 years. During this cooperative agreement the Food Microbiology Laboratory will increase laboratory capacity by implementing the NARMS retail meat surveillance protocols. Bacteria isolated from retail meat samples will be characterized where appropriate by serology and Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE). Results will be shared with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and DHEC Foodborne Epidemiologists and 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 sampling activities will be analyzed and monitored for trends which will be disseminated to state epidemiologists, when appropriate state sentinel hospitals, and shared with the public through DHEC’s external website. These activities will strengthen national efforts to monitor antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria isolated from retail meats and provide data to drive public health policy and program development.