USDA Provides more than $3.2 Million in Funding for Antimicrobial Resistance Dashboards

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Media Contact:
Travis Weger, 970-416-4699
travis.weger@usda.gov

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2023 – The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced 12 awards totaling more than $3.2 million in cooperative agreement funding (141.04 KB) to create antimicrobial resistance dashboards. These awards will help advance scientific knowledge around antimicrobial resistance through partnerships with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Cornell University, Iowa State University, University of Florida, North Carolina State University, Texas Tech University, University of Illinois, University of Missouri and University of Washington.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat that makes antibiotics and other antimicrobials less effective. Addressing AMR is important to APHIS, along with the agricultural and public health sectors, because antimicrobials are some of our most critical tools for treating serious infections and saving the lives of people and animals. Taking a One Health approach to tackling complex human and animal health challenges such as this is imperative.

Data protection is also important to APHIS. All antimicrobial resistance dashboards developed with his funding are required to include data protections similar to the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act. Once created, APHIS will use the dashboards to monitor trends in antimicrobial resistance patterns, detect emerging resistance profiles, and better understand relationships between antimicrobial use, animal health management practices and antimicrobial resistance.

These public-private partnerships will improve access to information on antimicrobial resistance in domesticated animals, including livestock, poultry, and companion animals. They will focus on:

  • Developing antimicrobial resistance dashboards to securely track the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistant microbes in domesticated animals.
  • Identifying and/or developing methods for protecting data confidentiality with these dashboards.
  • Identifying data user needs and preferences for antimicrobial resistance dashboards.
  • Exploring aspects of data management for antimicrobial resistance dashboards.

These dashboard development efforts complement APHIS’ ongoing work on antimicrobial resistance. APHIS’ National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) collects and evaluates information voluntarily provided by U.S. farmers and ranchers to better understand antimicrobial use in the context of overall animal health. Our partner labs in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) look for antimicrobial resistance, supporting APHIS’ work to monitor for trends and identify new or emerging resistance profiles, assess the continued usefulness of antibiotics over time, and provide actionable guidance to veterinarians, producers and other stakeholders.

Congress directed and provided funding to APHIS to carry out this project as part of USDA’s fiscal year 2021 and 2023 appropriations. With its extensive animal health expertise and strong federal, state, tribal and industry partnerships, APHIS plays a critical leadership role in identifying antimicrobial resistance in diseases found in animals, such as livestock and poultry, while protecting the nation’s food supply.

 

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APHIS protects the health of U.S. agriculture and natural resources against invasive pests and diseases, regulates genetically engineered crops, administers the Animal Welfare Act, and helps people and wildlife coexist. We also certify the health of U.S. agricultural exports and resolve phytosanitary and sanitary issues to open, expand, and maintain markets for U.S plant and animal products.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.