What to know
CDC works closely with partners to address foodborne antimicrobial resistance threats and inform food safety practices that protect against these threats.
Overview
Preventing the spread of foodborne infections from resistant bacteria is not easy. CDC works closely with partners to address foodborne antimicrobial resistance threats and inform food safety practices that protect against these threats. These partners include federal agencies, state and local health departments, representatives from the food industry, consumer groups, universities, healthcare professionals, and others.
Many of these partners play complementary roles through the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), a US public health surveillance system that tracks antimicrobial resistance in foodborne and other enteric bacteria.
Partners in antimicrobial resistance and food safety
| Humans | Retail Meats and Seafood | Food Animals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal agency(s) involved | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)*
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) |
| Partners | Health departments in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. | Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
|
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) |
| Where do the samples that are tested come from? | Ill persons | Retail meats and seafood from grocery stores, including
|
Food animals, including
|
| What bacteria does NARMS test for resistance†? |
|
|
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| Where can I find more information? | CDC NARMS | FDA NARMS | USDA NARMS FDA NARMS |
*USDA NARMS agencies include the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Each USDA NARMS agency tests bacterial samples taken from food-producing animals at different stages of production. †NARMS tests bacteria from sporadic cases and outbreaks of illness for resistance to 22 antibiotic agents that are in 13 classes of drugs. ‡Most Escherichia coli and Enterococcus do not cause human illness, but antimicrobial resistance in these bacteria can spread to other bacteria that can make people sick.
Related programs
Other groups around the world also work on monitoring and preventing antimicrobial resistance.
International and consensus organizations
International group of experts that advises WHO on integrated surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and the containment of food-related antimicrobial resistance.
Transatlantic Taskforce on Antimicrobial Resistance (TATFAR)
Dedicated to increasing the mutual understanding of US and EU activities and programs relevant to the antimicrobial resistance issues. The main outcome of the taskforce is a report, including a set of recommendations for future cooperation in the global fight to keep antimicrobials effective.
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
Intergovernmental organization responsible for improving animal health worldwide.
The European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption (ESVAC)
Collects information on how antimicrobial medicines are used in animals across the European Union (EU). This type of information is essential to identify possible risk factors that could lead to the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance in animals.
European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST)
Standing committee that deals with breakpoints and technical aspects of phenotypic in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
European Food Safety Agency (EFSA)
Biological Monitoring Unit that monitors and analyzes the situation on antimicrobial resistance in food and animals across Europe.
European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network (EARS-Net)
Wide network of national surveillance systems, providing European reference data on antimicrobial resistance for public health purposes.
Country-specific programs
Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS)
Monitors trends in antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in selected bacterial organisms from human, animal, and food sources across Canada.
Danish Integrated Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Research Programme (DANMAP)
Conducts surveillance of antimicrobial consumption and resistance in bacteria from animals, food, and humans.
Collects data about antimicrobial resistance of bacterial isolates from animals and humans to determine the incidence and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance and monitor changes over time.
Swedish Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring Programme (SVARM)
Monitors and analyzes the development of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria from animals and in bacteria from food of animal origin. Results are published in a yearly report.