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CVM is funding cooperative agreements to study the microbiological hazards associated with foods derived from animals, the food animal production environment, and animal feeds.

Under Research activities, the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), is funding cooperative agreements to study the microbiological hazards associated with foods derived from animals, the food animal production environment, and animal feeds.

The Office of Research (CVM OR) has developed research programs in three distinct thematic areas; 1) antibiotic resistance in zoonotic, foodborne bacterial pathogens; 2) antibiotic resistance in the pre- and post-approval animal production environments, and 3) the microbial quality of animal feeds.

Resistance to antimicrobial agents, in zoonotic bacterial pathogens, is directly related to CVM’s mission of regulating the safe and effective use of drugs in food-producing animals. Intramural and extramural research efforts have centered on programs that are designed to identify and monitor antimicrobial resistance associated with bacteria isolated from animals raised for human consumption. These activities involve determining susceptibility patterns of numerous veterinary bacterial pathogens, foodborne pathogens, and commensals such as E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter and Enterococcus.  Current monitoring activities are focused on retail meats,  such as, ground beef, ground turkey, pork, chicken and farm-raised fish.

CVM’s research programs also focus on the selection for, and dissemination of, antibiotic resistance within the animal production environment.  This involves monitoring animal production facilities, and other animal associated areas, for the presence of zoonotic bacterial pathogens, such as Campylobacter,  E. coli, Salmonella, and Enterococcus,  and determining the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of these bacteria isolated from various sources.

CVM also regulates animal feed.  The ability of animal feed to serve as a vector for dissemination of multi-resistant bacteria, both commensals and pathogens is of concern because of the ease with which resistance genes may be transferred between bacterial groups.  These studies involve characterizing the microbial quality of animal feeds and the types of antimicrobial resistant profiles seen in the bacteria isolated from animal feeds.

CVM’s extramural research program is also designed to complement and augment its intramural research plan. Current projects are designed to elucidate the prevalence and risk factors associated with the dissemination of antibiotic resistant Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and Enterococci within the animal production environment. Other studies seek to adapt and validate microbial detection methods, originally developed for use in food, to use in analysis of environmental samples from animal production environments.

CVM Updates

Cooperative Agreements

CVM is funding cooperative agreements to study the microbiological hazards associated with the food animal production environment, which includes animal feeds. These projects may be funded for up to three years depending on progress and the availability of funds. Additional information about these agreements is available from Dr. David B. Batson, Center for Veterinary Medicine (HFV-502), Food and Drug Administration, 8401 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD 20708, 301-827-8021.

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