ARS | Publication request: USDA-VETNET: A MOLECULAR APPROACH TO EPIDEMIOLOGIC PUZZLES

Submitted to: Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: September 27, 2002
Publication Date: September 27, 2002
Citation: Tankson, J.D. 2002. USDA-VETNET: A molecular approach to epidemiologic puzzles. Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy Proceedings. September 27,2002; San Diego, CA.

Technical Abstract: USDA - VetNet was established as a complimentary central database of PFGE fingerprints to CDC’s PulseNet. VetNet analyze PFGE fingerprints recovered from various animal sources including poultry, cattle (feed lot and dairy), and swine throughout the US. These isolates are presently being received from the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System – Enteric Bacteria (NARMS) and the Collaboration in Animal Health and Food Safety Epidemiology (CAHFSE). At present, non-typhoidal Salmonella is the sentinel foodborne pathogen whose genetic relatedness is being evaluated. The purpose of USDA- VetNet is to retrieve PFGE pattern libraries for comparison to human PulseNet PFGE patterns, and use this comparative data for surveillance and assist in investigation of outbreaks both within the animal population and those associated with foods.