SURVEILLANCE AND/OR DIAGNOSIS OF DISEASES AND PROBLEMS AFFECTING PRODUCTION ANIMALS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1010463
• Project Start Date: Oct 21, 2016
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2020
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
CLEMSON,SC 29634

Performing Department
Livestock-Poultry Health

Non Technical Summary
This project responds to a new programmatic classification of what Clemson University identifies as an "Umbrella Project". In this type of project various individual research proposals are grouped under a single "Umbrella Project" title. The project titled "Surveillance and/or diagnosis of diseases and problems affecting production animals" includes, as initial research proposal, the study of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of selected isolated obtained from the ceca of chickens, however under the same "Umbrella Project" other research proposals concerning surveillance and diagnoses of diseases and problems in production animals will be added over time. These additional proposals may or may not involve antimicrobial susceptibility studies.This project is intended to encompass aspects of surveillance and/or diagnosis of diseases/problems affecting production animals. Individual projects may include monitoring of certain parameters and development of tools important for the diagnosis, prevention, and management of such diseases. Antimicrobial resistance is a timely topic and critical area of research. Antimicrobial drugs are widely used and are useful in maintaining health in both humans and animals. Development of resistance to antibiotics is a serious public health threat. Antimicrobial drug use may select for resistant bacteria allowing those to survive, increase in numbers and increase the risk for humans and or animals to become infected by resistant bacteria. Use of antibiotics in food animals may offer another opportunity for proliferation of resistant strains that reach humans through the food supply. One Health recognizes that the health of humans and animals is linked and related to our shared environment. Thus development and spread of antimicrobial resistance is a potential threat that requires a concerted effort from both the Human Health and Veterinary communities.

Animal Health Component

85%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

10%

Applied

85%

Developmental

5%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
723	4099	1100	100%

Knowledge Area
723 - Hazards to Human Health and Safety;

Subject Of Investigation
4099 - Microorganisms, general/other;

Field Of Science
1100 - Bacteriology;

Keywords

diseases/problems affecting production animals

antimicrobial resistant bacteria in poultry

Goals / Objectives
Goals / ObjectivesThe goal is to address, at least in part, the gap in information related to the presence and possible impact of antimicrobialresistance (AMR) in enteric organisms in terms of prevalence and phenotypic patterns of resistance of chickens in SouthCarolina.Objective 1: To identify E. coli, salmonella and enterococcus from ceca of chickens presented to CVDC for necropsyObjective 2: To perform antimicrobial sensitivity testing (AST) and serotyping when appropriate of E. coli, salmonella andenterococcus.Objective 3: To analyze the data, compare with data in the NARMS reports, and communicate findings through variousmechanisms.

Project Methods
"Note: No live vertebrate animals are being handled in, and no animals are being sacrificed solely in support of, theconduct of this project."Cecal samples will be collected from all chickens presented for necropsy. The samples will be given a new accessionnumber and entered as a new sample in CVDC's Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). The identificationof the cecal samples will be blind other than the regions/counties of South Carolina where the flock originated, age ofthe flock and production type of the birds (e.g., broilers, broiler breeders, layers, or backyard flock). We will attempt toextract/isolate generic E. coli, salmonella, and enterococcus from the samples. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing(AST) will be performed at least once a month on batched isolates using USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service(FSIS) Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) methods. Salmonella isolates will be submitted to NVSL forserotyping. Isolates will be stored frozen and stored at CVDC at -40C. Briefly, a comingled sample (10g) of contents willbe collected from the ceca of chickens presented to the CVDC for necropsy. These samples will be submitted to theCVDC's Clinical Microbiology section for analysis. Each sample will be processed following FSIS Microbiology LabGuidebook methodology.Data from AST will be analyzed and compared to data in NARMS' annual and executive reports. We will use the sameantibiotic plates used by NARMS labs and use the same minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) currently used byNARMS. We will also be able to compare salmonella serotypes with what is currently being reported from NARMS.

Progress 10/21/16 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Veterinarians in LPH,Clemson University and SC; FDA, CDC, and public health communities. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were shared with veterinarins inClemson Livestock Poultry Health Department. A publication is anticipated in the first half of 2021. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Since the start of the project, we have collected 322 chicken cecal samples and have isolated 115 Salmonella isolates (36% recovery rate), 319 E. coli (99% recovery) and 312 Enterococcus (97% recovery) isolates. Salmonella Typhimurium continues to be the most common serotype isolated from chicken ceca. No bacterial isolate was either susceptible or resistant to all antibiotics tested. NARMS (National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System) data was sourced from retail chickens, HACCP cecal, retail ground beef, HACCP cecal beef & dairy, retail pork chps, cecal market swine and cecal sows across the nation. Current project MDR data was sourced from South Carolina chickens submitted for necropsy to the Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center. Salmonella:Multidrug resistance (MDR - resistance to 3 or more classes of antibiotics) was observed in 55% of Salmonella isolates, whereas 29% of isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic class and 16% of isolates were resistant to at least two classes of antibiotics. All Salmonella isolates were either susceptible or intermediate to phenicols (chloramphenicol) and susceptible to quinolones (ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid). No resistant pattern was noticed. During 2015-2017, NARMS reported 25% of MDR Salmonella isolates. E. coli:MDR was observed in 43% of E. coli isolates, and 36% and 22% of the isolates were resistant to at least one and two classes of antibiotics respectively. All E. coli isolatesexhibited resistance to macrolides (azithromycin), and no specific susceptibility pattern was observed. According to NARMS, during 2015-2017, azithromycin resistance was not detected in E. coli from retail meat samples. Among cecal samples from all animal sources, E. coli isolates with azithromycin resistance has remained below 3%. Enterococcus:MDR was observed in 97% of Enterococcus isolates, and 3 % of the isolates were resistant to at least 2 classes of antibiotics. All Enterococcus isolates showed resistance to aminoglycosides (gentamicin, kanamycin, and streptomycin) and no specific susceptibility pattern was detected. NARMS reported a decrease in gentamicin-resistant E. faecalis from 46% to 17% in chickens in 2017 since cecal testing began in 2013.

Publications

Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Veterinarians in LPH and Clemson University; FDA, CDC, and public health communities. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Data continues to be gathered and when the sample size is sufficient results will be disseminated. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continue to collect data related to diseases and problems that affect animals, and publish papers.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Since the start of the project we have received 282 chicken cecal samples and have isolated 97 salmonlla, 280 E. coli and 277 Enterococcus. From October 1, 2018 to Sepetember 30, 2019 we have received 32 cecal samples and from those we isolated 32 E. coli (100%), 32 Enterococcus (100%), and 7 Salmonella (21%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was detected in 21% of the E. coli isolates,100% of the Enterococcus isolates, and100% of the salmonella isolates. During this reporting period, there was a substantial increase in the MDR Salmonella isolates. Salmonella Thyphimurium continues to be the most common serotype isolated from chicken ceca here. None of the isolates were susceptible to all the antibiotics tested.

Publications

Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Veterinarians in LPH and Clemson University;FDA, CDC, and public health communities. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Data continues to be gathered and when the sample size is sufficient results will be disseminated. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Publish papers and continue to collect data related to diseases and problems that affect animals.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Since the start of the project we have received 250 samples and have isolated 90 salmonella, 248 E. coli and 245 Enterococcus. From August 2,2017-November 1, 2018 we received 73 cecal samples and from those we isolated 73 E. coli (100%), 72 Enterococcus (97%) and 19 Salmonella (26%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was detected in 24.65% of the salmonella isolates, 97.22% of the Enterococcus isolates , and 52.63% of the salmonella isolates. This contrasts with NARMS data showing 33%, 54% and 15% MDR for E. coli, Enterococcus and salmonella respectively. Salmonella typhimurium continues to be the most common serotype isolated from chicken ceca here.

Publications

Progress 10/21/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Veterinarians working at Livestock Poultry Health. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to start in-depth analysis of the AST data.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The project has now resulted in enough isolates to start analyzing data and comparing to the findings in NARMS.

Publications