U01FD007452

GA. Dept. of Agriculture - NARMS - NARMS - Project Summary/Abstract

The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is the state agency responsible for the regulation of food manufacturing facilities and retail establishments. GDA laboratories (LAB) are the primary servicing laboratories for the regulatory programs and are focused on food analysis for chemical and microbiological contaminants.

Since 2011, GDA has pursued FDA grants and cooperative agreements to improve and harmonize our state regulatory and testing capability. Through these grants, the LAB achieved accreditation to ISO 17025 international standards, which allows our regulatory agencies to perform contractual work on behalf of FDA.

Since GDA is Georgia's regulatory authority over food retail establishments, the agency has inspectors positioned throughout the state of Georgia. These inspectors are trained to collect samples and return them to our LAB for testing that can support regulatory enforcement.

Since GDA already has infrastructure designated for sample collection at retail establishments and the analysis of microorganisms by the LAB, this award opportunity NARMS (National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitory System) should make a good fit to be implemented by GDA.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) laboratory is currently awarded this grant but has contacted GDA to request assistance in taking it over since the COVID-19 pandemic has become their top priority.

In summary, GDA inspectors will collect the samples and send them to the LAB per routine protocols. The LAB will screen the samples for the target organisms suggested in the funding opportunity award (FOA). The LAB will utilize methods described in the project protocol in addition to screening by approved and validated ELISA or PCR platforms. Isolates showing typical characteristics will be further examined and confirmed or sent to FDA for further evaluation.

As needed, GDPH has agreed to also assist in whole genome sequencing of the isolates, since GDA does not currently have that ability, in addition to mentoring of the methods and program until fully established. The LAB has developed and demonstrated successful relationships with their regulatory partners and the GDPH LAB, which should indicate its ability to fulfill this objective. The LAB also routinely performs thousands of microbiological analyses on retail food samples annually.

If awarded, GDA will be capable of enhancing and strengthening antimicrobial resistance surveillance data. This, in turn, can be used to inform public health stakeholders about populations of resistant strains and if current policy and practices are adequate for the overall safety of consumers.

Georgia Department Of Agriculture

NOT APPLICABLE

93.876 - Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens

FDA Office of Acquisition and Grant Services (OAGS) [HHS - FDA]

Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) [HHS - FDA]

Atlanta, Georgia 303349004 United States

Single Zip Code

NARMS Cooperative Agreement Program to Strengthen Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance in Retail Food Specimens (U01) Clinical Trials Not Allowed (PAR-20-124)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 312% from $182,000 to $750,220.