Strengthening Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Commodities in Kentucky as a Part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS)

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections represent a growing public health concern, with foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus playing a signi?cant role. These bacteria commonly colonize food-producing animals asymptomatically but can be transmitted to humans via contaminated meat and seafood. The widespread and routine use of antibiotics in animal agriculture, particularly for growth promotion and disease prevention, has accelerated the emergence and dissemination of multidrug-resistant strains, posing serious risks to both human and animal health. To monitor and mitigate this threat, the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) was established as a joint effort among the FDA, CDC, and USDA. NARMS provides critical data on AMR trends across the food production continuum. However, notable gaps remain in the geographic distribution of retail food surveillance and the representation of high-risk food commodities such as seafood. In response, we propose establishing a new NARMS retail food surveillance site in Kentucky, centrally located at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. This site will focus on the routine, FDA-compliant collection and testing of retail meats (chicken, beef, pork) and seafood (e.g., shrimp, salmon, tilapia) across both urban and rural areas of Kentucky. Using standardized NARMS protocols, we will isolate and identify priority pathogens, including Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, and Enterococcus, as well as additional organisms such as Vibrio and Aeromonas in seafood products. All recovered isolates will undergo antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), and the resulting genomic and metadata packages will be submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and shared with the FDA in accordance with NARMS guidelines. Our multidisciplinary team, bringing together leading expertise in microbiology, veterinary medicine, food safety, epidemiology, and bioinformatics, is exceptionally well-equipped to lead and sustain this critical surveillance initiative. With complementary strengths and a proven track record in AMR research and public health, we are uniquely positioned to contribute to the NARMS food surveillance goal of improving the detection of and surveillance for antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria in raw retail meat commodities. To accomplish these goals, we propose three Speci?c Aims: 1) Establish a structured, FDA-compliant sampling and testing program for retail food commodities, 2) Perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genome sequencing (WGS) of recovered isolates, and 3) Contribute to national AMR surveillance efforts through data sharing, FDA coordination, and capacity building. This program will provide a critical regional contribution to the NARMS network, enhance national food safety infrastructure, and inform timely public health responses to AMR threats. Our surveillance ?ndings will also help identify food commodities with the highest AMR burden, enabling better targeted interventions across the farm-to-fork continuum.