NARMS: National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System

A collaborative program of state and local health departments, universities, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, serving as a U.S. public health surveillance system that tracks antibiotic resistance in bacteria that are found in retail meats, human patients, and food-producing animals.

NARMS TIMELINE

1996

• NARMS formed at recommendation of FDA advisory committee
• Human component of NARMS launched with testing of non-Typhi Salmonella and E. coli O157

1997

• Animal monitoring component launched with testing of Salmonella

1998

• Animal monitoring component expanded to include Campylobacter

2000

• Animal monitoring component expanded to include testing of E. coli

2002

• Retail meat component of NARMS launched with testing of Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli and Enterococcus

2003

• NARMS expands testing nationwide for Salmonella and E. coli O157 in people

2005

• NARMS data help inform FDA regulatory decision to withdraw approval of the last fluoroquinolones drug approved for use in poultry

2011

• NARMS data helps solve Salmonella Heidelberg outbreak in ground turkey

2012

• NARMS data inform FDA decision to prohibit some uses of cephalosporins in food-producing animals
• NARMS expands Salmonella retail meat testing to: CA, CO, CT, GA, LA, MD, MN, MO, NM, NY, OR, PA, TN, WA

2012-2013

• NARMS data inform implementation of FDA guidances for industry #209 and #213 on the Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals

2013

• Enhanced testing program in processing plants allows random, nationally representative testing of animals

2014

• NARMS starts using whole genome sequencing of Salmonella

2015

• NARMS Now launched, making isolate-level data available online

2016

• FDA's NARMS team wins U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Ventures Program Award to design public health surveillance mobile app
• CDC awards grants enabling every state to sequence all human isolates of Salmonella
• NARMS announces grant award to expand retail meat testing to 18 states