NARMS expands surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in retail foods to Hawaii

Project Summary/Abstract Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important issue for food safety and public health.Currently the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) Retail FoodSurveillance has been focusing on the mainland and has not covered the state of Hawaii. The UCDavis proposes to collaborate with NARMS to survey AMR in retail foods in populous anddemographically-diverse locations in the Greater Honolulu Area of Hawaii. The project?s goal ofimproving food safety and protecting public health will be achieved by undertaking thefollowing specific aims. First, the project will expand NARMS Retail Food Surveillance to newgeographical locations in Hawaii. Based on population density and demographical-diversity, wewill identify four locations in the Honolulu Area (Urban Honolulu, East Honolulu, Pearl City,and Waipahu) as NARMS? new representative geographical locations. Grocery stores in theselocations will be identified for randomly purchasing retail meat and seafood specimens monthly.Second, the project will monitor trends of AMR among different pathogens in retail foods in theHonolulu Area. We will purchase retail meat (chicken, turkey, pork, beef, veal) and seafood(shrimp, salmon) specimens monthly from grocery stores in the locations mentioned above. Wewill isolate bacteria from specimens according to NARMS? Retail Meat Protocol and SeafoodPilot Study Protocol. Bacterial isolates will be shipped to FDA monthly for antimicrobialsusceptibility test, whole genome sequencing, and other analysis. Third, the project will conductepidemiological studies on the prevalence of AMR in retail foods. We will collect metadata foreach specimen and determine key links between the prevalence of bacteria and their AMR (e.g.single or multiple drug resistance) and species, origins, types, and forms of retail food, claims ofantibiotics use, and seasons etc. Fourth, the project will disseminate information of AMR inretail foods to stakeholders and the public. We will develop lay publications, outreach materials,and peer-reviewed publications. With FDA?s approval, we will disseminate the information toagriculture and aquaculture communities, veterinarians, and the public. By accomplishing these specific aims, the project will characterize the trends of AMR inretail foods in the state of Hawaii. The project will enhance NARMS Retail Food Surveillanceand increase public awareness of AMR in retail foods. The project will also strengthencollaborations among federal and state agencies and academia on research, detection,surveillance, and investigation of foodborne outbreaks associated with AMR in retail food.1