Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens in Kansas as a Part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System

Project Summary Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens inKansas as a Part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System As a key activity in combating bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR), theNational Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) since 1996 monitorsAMR in foodborne pathogens and indicator bacterial species in food-animals at the timeof their processing; in red meat, poultry, and since 2020 also in seafood products sold tothe general public in retail; and in human foodborne infections. The program monitoringAMR in retail food is led and managed by the Food and Drug Administration ? Centerfor Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM). The food sample collection and microbiologicanalysis are performed by the program sites in individual states. The site in Kansas wasestablished in 2016, and the site-team has performed the NARMS Retail FoodSurveillance programmatic activities of collecting and subjecting to microbiologicanalysis samples of food retailed in Kansas. One of the major innovations in theprogram in recent years has been addition of whole genome sequencing and annotationof the bacterial isolates obtained from retail food samples. This new project will enablethe Kansas site-team to continue the prior programmatic activities in Kansas, with theaddition of a routine whole genome sequencing and annotation of bacterial isolatesobtained from food samples collected in retail stores in Kansas. The bacterial isolates,and their epidemiologic and genomic data will be shared with the Kansas Department ofHealth and Environment. The Department will use these surveillance data and materialsto advance public health in the state and inform program and policy development. Theresults will be also used to educate about and raise public awareness of AMR. Theisolates, and their epidemiologic and genomic data will be delivered to the NARMSRetail Food Surveillance program on the required schedule. The program team will usethese data and materials to enhance AMR surveillance and foodborne outbreakanalysis, and enable program and policy development at the national level. Therefore,this project will strengthen AMR surveillance and analysis, support foodborne outbreakinvestigation, inform antimicrobial drug stewardship, and promote public health inKansas and nation-wide.