Currently there is little data regarding levels of antibiotic resistance for bacteria isolated from raw meat sold in retail stores from metropolitan Southern California. In order to enhance the antibiotic resistance surveillance data for the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS) and School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) at UC Davis propose a collaboration with FDA to survey antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from retail meat in the Greater Los Angeles Area (LA). This objective will be achieved by undertaking three specific aims. First, retail chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops will be purchased monthly from retail stores in four geographical regions with different population demographics (East LA, Ontario, West LA, Irvine). Meat samples will be transported under refrigeration to the UC Davis WIFSS laboratory where isolation of Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Enterococcus will be conducted according to NARMS Retail Meat Surveillance Laboratory Protocol. Confirmed isolates of Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Enterococcus will be shipped to FDA-Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) monthly. Second, we will create a database of bacterial antibiotic resistance in retail meat to better link our results to farm antibiotic resistance surveillance required by Senate Bill-27 as part of California?s effort to promote prudent antibiotic use and reduce antibiotic resistance at the farm level. The database will include prevalence of the four bacteria species for each type of meat, serotypes of Salmonella, patterns of bacterial antibiotic resistance and sample information (retail location and zip code, source and brand of meat, processor, packaging, etc.). Linking this new database to NARMS?s existing databases will expand NARMS? meat surveillance and facilitate high-dimensional analysis with respect to tracing foodborne pathogens and antibiotic resistance from farms to retail store outlets.
Our third aim i s to enhance collaborations among federal, state and academic stakeholders with respect to foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. Collaborating partners in this project include FDA-CVM, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and UC Davis WIFSS and SVM. By accomplishing these specific outcomes the NARMS system will further expand its surveillance of antibiotic resistant bacteria in retail meat and facilitate collaboration among federal and state agencies and academia in detection, surveillance, and investigation of foodborne outbreaks associated with antibiotic resistance.
The proposed project is relevant to public health because the project will determine prevalence trends of bacteria and their antibiotic resistance in retail meat in the populated and diverse Southern California. The project is relevant to FDA?s missions because outcomes of the project will enhance and sustain FDA?s surveillance of antibiotic resistance in retail meat and foster collaborations among federal and state agencies and universities in detection, surveillance, and investigation of foodborne disease.
