Antimicrobial resistance in enteric pathogens from retail meat and seafood: a narms retail food surveillance program in illinois

The University of Illinois received a $199,500 Cooperative Agreement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Food and Drug Administration Research program (CFDA 93.103), awarded September 20, 2025, with completion targeted for August 31, 2030. The project enhances the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) surveillance capability in Illinois by conducting standardized microbiological testing of retail meat and seafood products. The University will collect fresh meat samples (chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops) twice monthly from randomly selected retail outlets across NARMS-designated locations in Illinois, testing for Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus. Seafood samples (shrimp, tilapia, and salmon) will be analyzed for Enterococcus, Aeromonas, Vibrio, and other lactose-fermenting bacteria.

The deliverables include serotyping of bacterial isolates, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) molecular testing following NARMS protocols. All genomic sequences will be submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information within two months of analysis, and bacterial isolates will be forwarded to the FDA. This surveillance work supports the federal public health objective of tracking antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens and preventing the spread of drug-resistant bacteria through the food chain.

Abstract

Retail raw meat and seafood pose risks of foodborne bacterial pathogen transmission to humans. Meat products like chicken, beef, ground turkey, and pork are major sources of foodborne pathogens including escherichia coli, salmonella, and campylobacter. Seafood products at retail venues, including shrimp, tilapia, and salmon, often carry vibrio and aeromonas. These foodborne pathogens from retail food products frequently show resistance to multiple antimicrobials, posing a serious public health risk. As antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens food safety and public health, monitoring AMR in these bacteria is essential to prevent the spread through the food chain. The national antimicrobial resistance monitoring system (narms), a U.S. Public health surveillance system, tracks AMR in humans, animals, and retail meats. Illinois-with densely populated urban centers and agricultural regions-plays a key role in the national food supply chain. This project will enhance AMR surveillance by supporting the FDA-narms program in illinois through standardized testing of retail food products. Fresh meat (including chicken, ground turkey, ground beef, and pork chops) will be collected twice monthly from retail outlets randomly selected from narms-designated locations within illinois, with microbiological testing for salmonella, campylobacter, escherichia coli, and enterococcus. Seafood samples (shrimp, tilapia, and salmon) will be tested for enterococcus, aeromonas, vibrio, and other lactose fermenting bacteria. The isolates will be serotyped and subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and molecular testing (PCR) following narms protocols. All sequences will be submitted to the national center for biotechnology information (ncbi) within 2 months, and isolates will be sent to the FDA. Our work will follow narms protocols and data agreements, participating in narms calls and working groups. This project will track emerging AMR trends in foodborne bacterial pathogens through data derived from phenotypic and genotypic analyses, enabling public health agencies to take appropriate measures. The specific aims are: 1) initiate and strengthen illinois-wide AMR surveillance through strategic retail sampling of poultry, meat, and seafood products; 2) elucidate phenotypic resistance profiles and perform WGS of priority foodborne bacterial pathogen isolates; 3) leverage integrated genomic and metadata analyses to assess AMR trends and track dissemination patterns across retail food sources. The long-term objective is to strengthen national AMR surveillance and protect public health by identifying risks from resistant foodborne bacteria.