NARMS Cooperative Agreement Program to Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens

Project Summary: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has been working with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), CDC, and FDA on the Retail Food Study since its inception in 2002. This project was designed to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance among enteric pathogens found in retail meats (including chicken, pork, ground beef, and ground turkey). In Minnesota, MDA and MDH are culturing all meats for Salmonella and chicken and pork/beef for Campylobacter. We are also culturing seafood for Vibrio, Aeromonas and Enterococcus. All isolates are further characterized by MDA or MDH and sent on to FDA for further analysis (including culture confirmation, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and molecular subtyping). From 2015- 2019, a total of 80 meat samples per month were tested. Starting in 2020 the sample total dropped back to 23-40 per month and the pilot seafood study was initiated. In Minnesota, in 2024, 12 of 84 (14.3%) chicken samples, 7 of 72 (9.7%) ground turkey samples and 3 of 48 (6.3%) pork samples tested positive for Salmonella. Also, in Minnesota in 2024, 19 of 84 (22.6%) chicken samples and 1 of 48 (2.1%) pork samples tested positive for Campylobacter. From the seafood study in Minnesota, 9 of 72 (12.5%) samples tested positive for Vibrio (all shrimp samples), 36 of 72 (50%) samples tested positive for Aeromonas (13 shrimp, 12 salmon, 11 tilapia), 51 of 72 (70.8%) samples tested positive for Enterococcus (23 shrimp, 11 salmon, 17 tilapia), and 46 of 72 (63.9%) samples tested positive for lactose fermenters (7 shrimp, 18 salmon, 21 tilapia). MDA and MDH plan to continue our cooperative arrangement. We will continue to collect samples from the seven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area (which comprises over half of Minnesota’s population) and from rural areas of the state as directed by FDA. This study has contributed substantial data to our understanding of the species, serotypes, and antimicrobial resistance types of Campylobacter and Salmonella found in various retail meats. The seafood study has contributed data to our understanding of species and antimicrobial resistance types of Vibrio, Aeromonas and Enterococcus in various seafoods. This data has been beneficial in guiding our outbreak investigations where meats may have been the source of infection in humans. We have encountered very few challenges in our experience with this study and feel it has been a valuable tool, adding a critical component to the picture of antimicrobial resistance in Minnesota.