Standardised antimicrobial testing

One of the key steps in controlling and managing bacterial infections in animals is by accurate identification of infections, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the disease-causing pathogens. Standardisation of these methods will allow for benchmarking of antimicrobial resistance and facilitate the reduction of antimicrobial resistance in the pig industry. This allows for better evaluation of the success of intervention strategies used by the pig industry to reduce antimicrobial resistance. Standardised practice may allow for decreased test cost via the potential for automation, which also further increases consistency and accuracy, and the ability for bulk purchase of reagents across the diagnostic network. This project was completed through communication with diagnostic laboratories to understand current practice, and through discussing this with key pig veterinarians and laboratory personnel to ensure consistency of reporting between laboratories.