このページの本文へ移動

動物医薬品検査所

文字サイズ
標準
大きく
メニュー

The Japanese Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System(JVARM)

 
National Veterinary Assay Laboratory
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
1-15-1, Tokura, Kokubunji, Tokyo 185-8511, Japan
Tel; +81-42-321-1841 Fax; +81-42-321-1769

 

      

 With the rapid development of intensive systems for rearing food-producing animals, bacterial infection has brought about serious economic loss in animal husbandry. As a result, antimicrobials have been widely used for the control of infection. Some reports indicate that many bacteria of animal origin have become resistant to these antimicrobials. An increasing incidence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria might create serious problems not only to animal hygiene, but also to public health. However, until recently there was a lack of nationwide information available on the antimicrobial resistance of bacteria of animal origin in Japan. Consequently, the Japanese Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (JVARM) was established in 1999 to replace the former monitoring system that specialized in animal hygiene.

 

  1. Background

     In 1969, the Swann Committee 1) reviewed the agricultural use of antimicrobials. Among their recommendations was that regular and much wider surveillance should be made of the bacteria of animals, animal products and man, including their antimicrobial resistance. Recently, the relationship between the use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals and the emergence of resistant bacteria in the food chain has become of great concern and has been the subject of numerous international meetings 2,3,4). In Japan, the basic law on food, agriculture and rural areas was established in 1999 to stabilize and improve people’s lifestyle and to develop the national economy. This law aimed to improve the management of food hygiene and quality in order to ensure food safety, and improve food quality. 

 

  1. Objectives

      The objectives of JVARM are to monitor the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria in food-producing animals, and monitor the consumption of antimicrobials for animal use. Moreover, to identify the efficacy of antimicrobials in food-producing animals, to promote prudent use of such antimicrobials, and to ascertain the public health problem. 

 

  1. Outline of JVARM

     JVARM (summarized in Figure 1) is composed of three parts: monitoring the quantities of antimicrobials used in animals; resistance monitoring in zoonotic and indicator bacteria isolated from healthy animals; and resistance monitoring in animal pathogens isolated from diseased animals. In Japan, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is responsible for the field of animal husbandry, but not food hygiene. Thus, test bacteria are isolated in the farm from food-producing animals, but not in food products. 

image002

 

(1) Monitoring of Antimicrobial Consumption

    The monitoring implementation system of antimicrobial consumption is shown in Figure 2. Pharmaceutical companies that produce and import antimicrobials for animals are required to submit data to the National Veterinary Assay Laboratory (NVAL) annually in accordance with  Pharmaceutical affairs law. NVAL subsequently sums, analyses and evaluates such data and MAFF headquarters publishes this data in a yearly report entitled the “Amount of medicines and quasi-drugs for animal use”.  

The annual weight in kilograms of the active ingredients of approved antimicrobials used in animals is collected. This includes only therapeutic antimicrobials for animal use and the data are subdivided by animal species. However, this only provides an estimate of the consumption for each target species, because one antimicrobial is frequently used for multiple animal species.  

image004

 

(2) Monitoring of Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria

Bacteria for resistance testing are collected continuously and include: zoonotic bacteria and indicator bacteria isolated from healthy animals; and pathogenic bacteria isolated from diseased animals. Zoonotic bacteria include: Salmonella species, and Campylobacter jejuni or C.coli; indicator bacteria include Escherichia coli including O157 and Enterococcus faecium or E.fecalis, including Vancomycin-Resistant Enteroccoci. Animal pathogens included at present are Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Actinobacillus pyogenes, Pasteurella multocida, Streptococcus species and Klebsiella species. The zoonotic and indicator bacteria are isolated from faecal samples collected from cattle, pigs , broilers and layers. Six samples per animals are collected in each prefecture every year. One sample is limited from one farm. Two strains per sample are collected for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Animal pathogens are isolated from samples submitted for diagnosis. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of test bacteria are determined for antimicrobials mainly by the agar dilution method as described by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards 5). 

 

  1. JVARM Implementation System

     The JVARM implementation system is shown in Figure 3. A total of one hundred and ninety-five Livestock Hygiene Services Centers (LHSC), which belong to prefecture offices,   participate in JVARM. The LHSC function as participating laboratories of JVARM, and are responsible for the isolation and identification of target bacteria, as well as MIC measurement. They send results and resistant bacteria to NVAL, which functions as the reference laboratory of JVARM, and is responsible for preservation of resistant bacteria, summing and analysing all data and reporting to MAFF headquarters. In addition, NVAL conducts research into the  molecular epidemiology and resistance mechanisms of the bacteria.

image006

 

  1. QA/QC Systems

      Quality control procedures are implemented in participating laboratories that perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing to help monitor the precision and accuracy of the test procedure, the performance of the appropriate reagents, and the personnel involved. Strict adherence to standardized techniques is necessary for the collection of reliable and reproducible data from participating laboratories. Quality control reference bacteria are also tested in each participating laboratory to ensure standardization. Moreover, NVAL holds the national training course on antimicrobial resistance every year to provide training in standardized laboratory methods for the isolation, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of target bacteria. Recently, proficiency testing of participating laboratories has been initiated for the major bacterial species included in JVARM. The participating laboratories test these strains using the same conditions as the antimicrobial susceptibility test. Proficiency testing is one of the foundations of quality assurance for participating laboratories in JVARM and ensures that reported MIC data are accurate without question.

  1. Announcement of Data

     Since a problem with antimicrobial resistance directly influences animal and human health, it is of paramount importance to distribute information on antimicrobial resistance as soon as possible. We are officially taken three steps to publicise such information; initially through the  MAFF weekly newspaper called “Animal Hygiene news”, then by publication in scientific journals and via the NVAL website (URL http://www.nval.go.jp/taisei/taisei.html). 

 

Although JVARM was started in 1999 and conforms to the OIE report on antimicrobial resistance 6,7), further steps could be taken to ensure animal and public health in Japan In particular, several countries have initiated national monitoring systems that include both animal and public health, but at present there is no global monitoring system in Japan or coordination between these areas. Joint efforts are now needed to establish a national antimicrobial monitoring system that includes both animal and public health to solve the emerging problem of antimicrobial resistance. 

 

 References

  1.  Swann, M.M. 1969. Report of the joint committee on the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine. HM Stationary Office.
  2. Office International des Épizooties. 1999.Proceeding of European Scientific Conference. The use of antibiotics in animals ensuring the protection of public health. Paris 24-26March.
  3.  World Health Organization. 1997. Report of WHO meeting. The medical impact of the use of antimicrobials in food animals. Berlin 13-17 October.
  4. World Health Organization. 1998. Report of WHO meeting. Use of quinolones in food animals and potential impact of human health. Geneva 2-5 June.
  5. Shryock, T.R., Apley, M., Jones, R.N., Lein, D.H., Thornsberry, C., Walker, R.D., Watts, J.L., White, D.G., Wu, C.C. 2002. Performance standards for antimicrobial disk and dilution susceptibility tests for bacteria isolated from animals; Approved standard-Second edition, NCCLS M31-A2.
  6. Franklin, A., Acar, J., Anthony, F., Gupta, R., Nicholls, T., Tamura, Y., Thompson, S., Threlfall, E.J., Vose, D., van Vuuren, M., White, D.G., Wegener, H.C., Costarrica, M.L. 2001.Antimicrobial resistance: harmonisation of national antimicrobial resistance monitoring and surveillance programmes in animals and in animal-derived food. Rev.Sci.Tech.Off.Int.Epiz., 20(3),859-870.
  7. White, D.G., Acar, J., Anthony, F., Franklin, A., Gupta, R., Nicholls, T., Tamura, Y., Thompson, S., Threlfall, E.J., Vose, D., van Vuuren, M., Wegener, H.C., Costarrica, M.L. 2001.Antimicrobial resistance: standardisation and harmonisation of laboratory methodologies for the detection and quantification of antimicrobial resistance. Rev.Sci.Tech.Off.Int.Epiz., 20(3),849-858.