What does NARMS do?

What does NARMS do?

• A. It is a national public health surveillance system that tracks antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria
• B. It is a laboratory research program for antibiotic development
• C. It collects data on antibiotic usage in humans
• D. It monitors resistance only in hospital-acquired pathogens

Answer: (B)

NARMS is a national public health surveillance system that tracks antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria across multiple sources, including humans, food animals, and retail meats. It works by collecting bacterial isolates from ill people, animals, and foods and testing them for susceptibility to key antibiotics, then using the data to monitor trends and inform public health actions and policy. It isn’t a laboratory program for developing new antibiotics, and its focus isn’t limited to hospital-acquired pathogens or to collecting antibiotic usage data in humans.

NARMS is a national public health surveillance system that tracks antibiotic resistance in foodborne bacteria across multiple sources, including humans, food animals, and retail meats. It works by collecting bacterial isolates from ill people, animals, and foods and testing them for susceptibility to key antibiotics, then using the data to monitor trends and inform public health actions and policy. It isn’t a laboratory program for developing new antibiotics, and its focus isn’t limited to hospital-acquired pathogens or to collecting antibiotic usage data in humans.