Methodology for laboratory-based antimicrobial resistance surveillance in animals

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a crucial and emerging multifactorial One Health problem involving human and animal health, agriculture, aquaculture, and environment; and posing a potential public health hazard globally. The containment of AMR justifies effective surveillance programs to explicate the magnitude of the problem across the contributing sectors. Laboratory-based AMR testing and characterization is the key component of an AMR surveillance program. An AMR surveillance program should have a top management for fund mobilization. planning, formulating, and multilateral coordinating of the surveillance activities. The top management should identify competent participating laboratories to form a network comprising a reference laboratory and an adequate number of sentinel laboratories. The responsibilities of the reference laboratory include the development of standardized test methods for ensuring quality and homogeneity of surveillance activities, providing training to the laboratory personnel. and in-depth AMR characterization. The sentinel laboratories will take the responsibilities of receiving samples, isolation and identification of microbes, and initial AMR characterization. The sentinel laboratories will use simple antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST) methods such as disk diffusion tests, whereas the reference laboratories should use automated quantitative AST methods as well as advanced molecular methods to explicit AMR emergence mechanisms. Standard guidelines set by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute or the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, should be followed to bring about conformity and harmonization in the AST procedures. AMR surveillance program in animals is eventually similar to that in human health with the exception is that veterinary antibiotics and veterinary pathogens should be given preference here. Hence, the review study was envisaged to look deep into the structure of the AMR surveillance program with significance on laboratory-based AMR testing and characterization methods.

Automated summary

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health problem that affects human and animal health, agriculture, aquaculture, and the environment. This review study focuses on the structure of AMR surveillance programs, with an emphasis on laboratory-based testing and characterization methods. Effective surveillance programs require top management for fund mobilization, planning, and coordination of surveillance activities. Reference laboratories play a key role in developing standardized test methods and providing training, while sentinel laboratories are responsible for sample receiving and initial testing. Conformity and harmonization in testing procedures should be achieved by following standard guidelines.