SOA8/SPAMR-VET is a project within the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare (EUP AH&W). The aim of the project is to improve surveillance of important veterinary pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles. This includes establishing epidemiological cut-off values for relevant combinations of bacteria and antibiotics, which can subsequently be used to define clinical breakpoints (CBPs) that are crucial for evaluating the efficacy of treatments for bacterial infections. Furthermore, the project focuses on the use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) in surveillance, which provides opportunities for both characterizing the pathogens and assessing their dissemination dynamics. Both bacteria and parasites causing significant economic losses in agriculture and aquaculture are included in this project.
Task 1. Identification of and interpretive criteria for phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing
In veterinary medicine, there is a shortage in specific clinical breakpoints (CBPs) used to determine the probability of treatment success or failure of an infection with a certain antibiotic. Epidemiological cut-off values (ECOFFs) are needed for AMR surveillance and for establishing CBPs. ECOFFs for selected pathogen – antimicrobial combinations will be determined. Additionally, the project plans to implement the detection and rapid identification of AMR in bacterial fish pathogens using MALDI-TOF MS technology.
Task 2. Genomic monitoring of pathogens of veterinary importance and their AMR genetic determinants
This task will focus on using genomics and WGS to systematically monitor bacterial pathogens of veterinary importance and their AMR profiles, both for characterization and for assessing transmission dynamics from farms to the surrounding environment. The collection of active and passive surveillance data, WGS and metagenomic data will support efforts to prevent and minimize the risk of AMR transfer between animals and their surrounding environment. Furthermore, this will help identify targeted preventive measures to promote human and animal health. Both bacterial and parasitic pathogens causing significant economic losses in agriculture or aquaculture will be included.
Partners
- DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITET (DTU), SOA8 Project leader, Denmark
- STATENS SERUM INSTITUT (SSI), Denmark
- UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN (UCPH), Denmark
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute (NVI), Norway
- AGENCE NATIONALE DE LA SECURITE SANITAIRE DE L ALIMENTATION DE L ENVIRONNEMENT ET DU TRAVAIL (ANSES), France
- ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH AGENCY (APHA), United Kingdom
- AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS (CSIC), Spain
- INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENT (INRAE), France
- INSTITUT DE RECERCA I TECNOLOGIA AGROALIMENTARIES (IRTA), Spain
- ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE DELL'ABRUZZO E DEL MOLISE G CAPORALE (IZS - Teramo), Italy
- ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE DELLA LOMBARDIA E DELL'EMILIA ROMAGNA BRUNO UBERTINI (IZSLER), Italy
- ISTITUTO ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE DELLE REGIONI LAZIO E TOSCANA (IZSLT), Italy
- PANSTWOWY INSTYTUT WETERYNARYJNY - PANSTWOWY INSTYTUT BADAWCZY (PIWet), Poland
- SCIENSANO (Sciensano), Belgium
- STATENS VETERINAERMEDICINSKA ANSTALT (SVA), Sweden
- UNIVERSITAT AUTONOMA DE BARCELONA (UAB), Spain
- UNIVERSITEIT GENT (UGent), Belgium
- UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANI (UL), Slovenia
- STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCH (WR), Netherlands
