Location: Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-32000-110-003-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2014
End Date: Aug 31, 2019
Objective:
The long term goal is to develop and optimize management strategies that minimize the prevalence of zoonotic enteric bacteria, including those resistant to antimicrobial agents, in dairy production systems. The specific objective of this project is to conduct sampling of young cull dairy animals entering the meat supply in Pennsylvania to evaluate the presence and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in the enteric bacterial population.
Approach:
Sampling will be conducted at calf-rearing facilities that channel dairy calves to the meat supply. Fecal samples will be collected from calves at 4 operations quarterly. Composite manure samples will also be obtained quarterly from 6 to 8 auction houses that feed calves into these calf raising facilities. Samples will be cultured for the presence of E. coli and Salmonella and isolates will be tested for resistance to a panel of antibiotics.
