ANIHWA call2: Prevalence and optimised detection of resistance to antibiotics vital for animal and human health

用于医学的抗生素库正在不断减少，而耐药率却在不断增加。迫切需要识别和控制抗生素耐药性的所有来源，并最大限度地减少动物体内以及动物与人类之间的耐药性基因和/或细菌的转移。该合作项目的目的是解决对三种至关重要的抗生素类别的耐药性;猪和牛肠道微生物群落中的多粘菌素（粘菌素）、氨基糖苷类和碳青霉烯类。多粘菌素是一种重要的抗生素，用于治疗动物肠道感染，即大肠杆菌和沙门氏菌。碳青霉烯酶被认为仅限于人类病原体，因为碳青霉烯类不用于兽医学。这项研究计划将评估猪只和牛只的肠内革兰氏阴性菌对黏菌素、氨基糖苷类和碳青霉烯类的耐药性（或敏感性降低），并与不同国家的处方水平作比较。我们将确定导致对这些抗生素的耐药性或敏感性降低的机制，并破译其遗传环境。在没有已知耐药机制的情况下，我们将利用全基因组测序和功能宏基因组学来破译新的耐药机制。利用这些数据，我们可以评估国家内部和国家之间移动的抵抗分子之间的关系。近年来发展起来的廉价鉴定产碳青霉烯酶菌株的快速诊断技术将被应用于碳青霉烯类抗生素耐药性的研究。我们还将开发进一步的诊断工具，用于鉴定粘菌素和氨基糖苷类耐药性。抗生素在兽医中的使用、抗生素耐药性的出现以及耐药性通过食物链向人类转移的可能性是国家和欧盟政策层面的高度优先主题。欧盟需要全面的科学数据来指导该领域的未来政策，并确保维护动物和人类的健康和福利。食品行业的可追溯性和透明度对于建立欧洲多年来作为安全食品生产领域的声誉至关重要，在动物健康和福利方面具有高标准。

The arsenal of antibiotics for use in medicine is ever decreasing, while the rates of resistance are ever increasing. There is a great need to identify and control all sources of antibiotic resistance, and minimise the transfer of resistance genes and/or bacteria within animals and between animals and humans. The aims of this collaborative project are to address resistance to three critically important classes ofantibiotic classes; polymyxins (colistin), aminoglycosides and carbapenems among gut microflora from pigs and cattle. Colistin is an important antibiotic in the treatment of animals with intestinal infections i.e. Escherichia coli and Salmonella species. Carbapenemases were thought to be restricted to human pathogens, since carbapenems are not used in veterinary medicine. However, they have recently been identified in food animals.This project will evaluate the rates of resistance (or reduced susceptibility) to colistin, aminoglycosides and carbapenems and among Gram negative enteric bacteria from pigs and cattle, and compare these with the levels of prescribing in the different countries. We will identify the mechanisms leading to the resistance or reduced susceptibility to those antibiotics, and decipher their genetic environment. In cases where no known resistance mechanism can be identified we will utilise whole genome sequencing and functional metagenomics to decipher the novel resistance mechanism. Using this data we can then evaluate the relationship between mobile resistance elements within and between countries. Recently-developed rapid diagnostic techniques for cheap identification of carbapenemase-producing isolates will be applied to investigate carbapenem resistance. We will also develop further diagnostic tools for the identification of colistin and aminoglycoside resistances. The use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine, the emergence of antibiotic resistance and the potential transfer of resistance through the food chain to humans are topics of high priority at both the national and EU policy levels. Comprehensive EU-wide scientific data is required to guide future policy in this area and to ensure the maintenance of both animal and human health and welfare. Traceability and transparency within the food industry are vital to build on the reputation that Europe has built up over many years as an area of safe food production, with high standards in animal health and welfare.