TY - JOUR

T1 - Pilot testing the EARS-Vet surveillance network for antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens from animals in the EU/EEA

AU - Lagrange, Justine

AU - Amat, Jean Philippe

AU - Ballesteros, Cristina

AU - Damborg, Peter

AU - Grönthal, Thomas

AU - Haenni, Marisa

AU - Jouy, Eric

AU - Kaspar, Heike

AU - Kenny, Kevin

AU - Klein, Babette

AU - Lupo, Agnese

AU - Madec, Jean Yves

AU - Salomonsen, Charlotte Mark

AU - Müller, Elisabeth

AU - Madero, Cristina Muñoz

AU - Nilsson, Oskar

AU - Norström, Madelaine

AU - Nykäsenoja, Suvi

AU - Overesch, Gudrun

AU - Pedersen, Karl

AU - Pohjanvirta, Tarja

AU - Slowey, Rosemarie

AU - Justo, Cristiana Teixeira

AU - Urdahl, Anne Margrete

AU - Zafeiridis, Christos

AU - Zini, Eric

AU - Cazeau, Géraldine

AU - Jarrige, Nathalie

AU - Collineau, Lucie

AU - on behalf of the EARS-Vet network

N1 - Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Lagrange, Amat, Ballesteros, Damborg, Grönthal, Haenni, Jouy, Kaspar, Kenny, Klein, Lupo, Madec, Salomonsen, Müller, Madero, Nilsson, Norström, Nykäsenoja, Overesch, Pedersen, Pohjanvirta, Slowey, Justo, Urdahl, Zafeiridis, Zini, Cazeau, Jarrige, Collineau and on behalf of the EARS-Vet network.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Introduction: As part of the EU Joint Action on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Healthcare-Associated Infections, an initiative has been launched to build the European AMR Surveillance network in veterinary medicine (EARS-Vet). So far, activities included mapping national systems for AMR surveillance in animal bacterial pathogens, and defining the EARS-Vet objectives, scope, and standards. Drawing on these milestones, this study aimed to pilot test EARS-Vet surveillance, namely to (i) assess available data, (ii) perform cross-country analyses, and (iii) identify potential challenges and develop recommendations to improve future data collection and analysis. Methods: Eleven partners from nine EU/EEA countries participated and shared available data for the period 2016–2020, representing a total of 140,110 bacterial isolates and 1,302,389 entries (isolate-antibiotic agent combinations). Results: Collected data were highly diverse and fragmented. Using a standardized approach and interpretation with epidemiological cut-offs, we were able to jointly analyze AMR trends of 53 combinations of animal host-bacteria–antibiotic categories of interest to EARS-Vet. This work demonstrated substantial variations of resistance levels, both among and within countries (e.g., between animal host species). Discussion: Key issues at this stage include the lack of harmonization of antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods used in European surveillance systems and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, the absence of interpretation criteria for many bacteria–antibiotic combinations of interest, and the lack of data from a lot of EU/EEA countries where little or even surveillance currently exists. Still, this pilot study provides a proof-of-concept of what EARS-Vet can achieve. Results form an important basis to shape future systematic data collection and analysis.

AB - Introduction: As part of the EU Joint Action on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Healthcare-Associated Infections, an initiative has been launched to build the European AMR Surveillance network in veterinary medicine (EARS-Vet). So far, activities included mapping national systems for AMR surveillance in animal bacterial pathogens, and defining the EARS-Vet objectives, scope, and standards. Drawing on these milestones, this study aimed to pilot test EARS-Vet surveillance, namely to (i) assess available data, (ii) perform cross-country analyses, and (iii) identify potential challenges and develop recommendations to improve future data collection and analysis. Methods: Eleven partners from nine EU/EEA countries participated and shared available data for the period 2016–2020, representing a total of 140,110 bacterial isolates and 1,302,389 entries (isolate-antibiotic agent combinations). Results: Collected data were highly diverse and fragmented. Using a standardized approach and interpretation with epidemiological cut-offs, we were able to jointly analyze AMR trends of 53 combinations of animal host-bacteria–antibiotic categories of interest to EARS-Vet. This work demonstrated substantial variations of resistance levels, both among and within countries (e.g., between animal host species). Discussion: Key issues at this stage include the lack of harmonization of antimicrobial susceptibility testing methods used in European surveillance systems and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, the absence of interpretation criteria for many bacteria–antibiotic combinations of interest, and the lack of data from a lot of EU/EEA countries where little or even surveillance currently exists. Still, this pilot study provides a proof-of-concept of what EARS-Vet can achieve. Results form an important basis to shape future systematic data collection and analysis.

KW - antimicrobial resistance

KW - integrated surveillance

KW - monitoring

KW - One Health

KW - veterinary clinical pathogens

U2 - 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1188423

DO - 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1188423

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37283921

AN - SCOPUS:85161119809

VL - 14

JO - Frontiers in Microbiology

JF - Frontiers in Microbiology

SN - 1664-302X

M1 - 1188423

ER -