Enteric Diseases Laboratory Branch

The National Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Team conducts antimicrobial resistance surveillance and applied research among foodborne enteric bacteria (pathogens and commensal organisms). Susceptibility testing and other analyses are performed on bacterial isolates from foodborne disease outbreaks, focus studies, and human isolate submissions to the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS). NARMS is a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM), and the United States Department of Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). NARMS human isolate monitoring is conducted in partnership with the Enteric Diseases Epidemiology Surveillance Branch; FDA-CVM and USDA-ARS conduct studies on bacteria isolated from retail meats and food animals, respectively.

Additional Links

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Antimicrobial Resistance
• Select CDC NARMS Publications
• NARMS – Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine
• NARMS – United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service
• Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS)
• European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST)

The National Botulism Laboratory Team (NBLT) maintains CDC expertise for laboratory investigations of botulism, and provides training to U.S. and international public health laboratories. NBLT outbreak activities include detection and serotyping of botulinum neurotoxin, and the isolation and identification of botulinum-toxin-producing Clostridia. NBLT also develops and validates new detection and identification methods for the enhancement of the U.S. response to bioterrorism events involving botulinum toxin.

Additional Links

• General information about botulism
• BT preparedness information
• Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program
• Laboratory Response Network

The National Enteric Reference Laboratory Team is comprised of four Units: the Campylobacter Unit; Escherichia, Shigella, Yersinia, and Vibrio Unit; the Salmonella Unit; and the Listeria Identification and Subtyping Unit. The Reference Laboratory Team contributes to the prevention of foodborne and diarrheal diseases in the United States and abroad by facilitating detection, identification and characterization of enteric bacterial pathogens. Members of the Team accomplish this goal by providing reference diagnostic services for unusual or difficult to identify bacteria and by providing consultation and training to empower our public health partners at local, national and international levels to provide quality diagnostic services to their constituents and reliable surveillance data upon which sound public health decisions can be made. To sustain our ability to provide quality service, the National Enteric Reference Laboratory Team conducts applied research to better understand the biology, pathogenesis and epidemiology of enteric bacterial pathogens and to develop improved diagnostic methods for their detection and characterization.

Additional Links

• US Surveillance data
• European Salmonella  Surveillance data

PulseNet is a national laboratory network that connects foodborne illness cases to detect outbreaks. PulseNet uses DNA fingerprinting, or patterns of bacteria making people sick, to detect thousands of local and multistate outbreaks. Since the network began in 1996, PulseNet has improved our food safety systems through identifying outbreaks early. This allows investigators to find the source, alert the public sooner, and identify gaps in our food safety systems that would not otherwise be recognized. PulseNet International performs a similar role for foodborne illnesses globally.