Thursday, April 18, 2024
4/18/2024
While antibiotics save millions of lives every year, the rise of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains poses an increasing threat to both human and animal health. With growing evidence that resistant bacteria in companion animals (pets) is correlated with resistant bacteria in their owners, judicious use of antimicrobials by health practitioners is critical to limit the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant pathogens(1) Several publications and organizations have specifically called on the veterinary profession to participate in antibiotic stewardship and have suggested strategies on how to do so(2,3) because the reduction of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria isolated from companion animals is a growing public health concern. The emergence of carbapenem resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in companion animal veterinary medicine was inevitable – and yet we were, and are, completely unprepared. In April 2019, passive surveillance conducted by Vet-LIRN identified the blaNDM-5 gene in a carbapenem-resistant E. coli from a dog that was a patient at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital. VetLIRN has created a Veterinary Antimicrobial Working Group (VAWG) to navigate the complex issues associated with the isolation of these organisms from animals. CDC has declared the that CRE are an urgent public health threat. Aggressive action is needed to prevent the spread of CRE from animals to humans, or vice versa, and surveillance is necessary to detect resistance mechanisms in animal isolates. CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network (AR Lab Network) supports nationwide lab capacity to rapidly detect antibiotic resistance and inform local responses to prevent spread and protect people. It closes the gap between local capabilities and the data needed to combat antibiotic resistance by providing comprehensive lab capacity and infrastructure for antibiotic-resistant pathogens, cutting-edge technology, and data collection to drive response and prevent infections. The FDA VetLIRN mission is: To promote human and animal health by collaborating with veterinary diagnostic laboratories to provide scientific information, build laboratory capacity for routine and emergency response and train scientists. VetLIRN must also be in a position to provide comprehensive lab capacity and infrastructure for antibiotic-resistant pathogens in veterinary medicine. That should be done using the same cutting-edge technology that is used in the CDC ARLN. A CRE Reference Laboratory within the VetLIRN infrastructure will support the collection of veterinary surveillance data to drive veterinary-specific responses and prevent infection in animals and humans.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
