OIE Reference Laboratory Reports
Activities in 2010
Name of disease (or topic) for
which you are a designated OIE
Reference Laboratory:
Antimicrobial resistance
Address of laboratory:
VLA Weybridge, New Haw,
Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 3NB, UK
Tel.:
(+44-1743) 46.76.21
Fax:
(+44-1743) 44.10.60
e-mail address:
c.teale@ahvla.gsi.gov.uk
website:
Name of Head of Laboratory
(Responsible Official):
http://www.defra.gov.uk/vla/
Professor Peter Borriello
Name of OIE Reference Expert:
Christopher Teale
Name of writer of this report
(if different from above):
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2010
1
Antimicrobial resistance
Part I: Summary of general activities related to the disease
1.
2.
Test(s) in use/or available for the specified disease/topic at your laboratory
Test
For
Specificity
Total
Disc diffusion susceptibility
test
Antimicrobial susceptibility
of veterinary pathogenic and
commensal bacteria to a
panel of 8 antimicrobials for
diagnostic purposes.
Antimicrobial resistance to
8 antimicrobials; resistance to
other antimicrobials may be
inferred where cross-resistance
occurs.
>6,200
Disc diffusion susceptibility
test
Antimicrobial susceptibility
of Salmonella to a panel of
16 antimicrobials for
surveillance purposes.
Antimicrobial resistance to 16
antimicrobials; resistance to
other antimicrobials may be
inferred where cross-resistance
occurs.
>3,500
Determination of minimum
inhibitory concentration.
Antimicrobial susceptibility
determined by broth
microdilution MIC.
Resistance to other
antimicrobials may be inferred
where cross-resistance occurs.
340
Molecular detection of
selected beta-lactamase
resistance genes by PCR.
Characterisation of betalactamase resistance,
particularly of ESBL and
AmpC types.
Specific for certain betalactamase resistance genes.
>1,000
Microarray for the detection
of a number of resistance
genes (>50) in bacteria.
Antimicrobial resistance
genotype.
Specific for antimicrobial
resistance genes.
~1,000
Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Microarray technology for identification of resistance genes carried by bacteria. Details are available at
http://www.identibac.com/
>1,000 microarray tests for antimicrobial resistance performed at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency.
Part II: Activities specifically related to the mandate
of OIE Reference Laboratories
3.
International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the
production and testing of vaccines
Attendance at quarterly meetings of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Working Party on
Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, which sets breakpoints and defines methods for use in the medical field in
the UK and further afield.
Membership of the OIE Ad hoc Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
Membership of the European Food Safety Authority Working Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
Attendance at the EU Community Reference Laboratory annual meeting on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
and participation in the EU EQAS programme.
2
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2010
Antimicrobial resistance
An external quality assurance programme for testing for S. aureus and MRSA was offered in 2010 by VLA to
external participants.
4.
Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines
EQAS offered in 2010 by VLA for S. aureus and MRSA.
5.
Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
Further research into development of micro-arrays and other methods for rapid detection of antimicrobial
resistance and virulence genes. Micro-arrays are now in routine use (and have been made commercially available)
to examine bacterial isolates of particular interest, for example, those carrying extended-spectrum beta-lactamases.
Further information regarding the microarrays is available at http://www.identibac.com/ The AMR Array Tube
version 4 has been validated to the equivalent of OIE stage 2.
6.
Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease
control
Production of reports concerning antimicrobial resistance in bacteria in livestock in England and Wales. These
reports have been published on the internet and are available at:
http://defraweb/animalh/diseases/zoonoses/zoonoses_reports/annualrep05.pdf
Contribution of data on antimicrobial resistance in bacteria recovered from livestock in England and Wales to the
EU “Trends and Sources” report.
EFSA contractor for production of the Community Summary Report on Antimicrobial Resistance, 2009.
7.
Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Members
Member of and rapporteur for the OIE Ad hoc Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
8.
Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Members
Visit to National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Republic of Korea.
9.
Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Members
No diagnostic testing performed in 2010 for other OIE Members.
10. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
No international scientific meetings organised in 2010.
VLA National Conference 2010 had a whole day theme on antimicrobial resistance (co-organised by the
Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the British Society for Antimicrobial Resistance).
11. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
Member of and rapporteur for the OIE Ad hoc Group on Antimicrobial Resistance. The Group formally convened
once in 2010 at the OIE headquarters in Paris.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2010
3
Antimicrobial resistance
SafeFoodERA FSA Project B14016 – The role of the commensal microflora of animals in the transmission of
extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs). International collaborative project not yet completed.
12. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of
scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)

Presentations at international conferences and meetings
Plasmid mediated antimicrobial resistance. Characterizing extended-spectrum lactamases in E. coli isolated from
cattle ECCMID, Vienna, 2010. Abstract number: P1619 Boinett C.J., Coldham N., Anjum M.F., Kirchner M.,
Carattoli A., Woodward M.J.

Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals
L. P. Randall, C. Clouting, R. A. Horton, N. G. Coldham, G. Wu, F. A. Clifton-Hadley, R. H. Davies and C. J.
Teale. 2011. Prevalence of Escherichia coli carrying extended-spectrum β-lactamases (CTX-M and TEM-52)
from broiler chickens and turkeys in Great Britain between 2006 and 2009 J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 66(1): 8695.
Hunter PA; Dawson S; French GL; Goossens H; Hawkey PM; Kuijper EJ; Nathwani D; Taylor DJ; Teale CJ;
Warren RE; Wilcox MH; Woodford N; Wulf MW; Piddock LJV 2010 Antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in
animals and man: prescribing, practices and policies. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 65 (Suppl. 1) i3-i17.
Hopkins KL; Kirchner M; Guerra B; Granier SA; Lucarelli C; Porrero MC; Jakubczak A; Threlfall EJ; Mevius DJ
2010 "Multiresistant Salmonella enterica serovar 4,[5],12:i:- in Europe: a new pandemic strain?" Eurosurveillance
15 (22) 1.

Other communications
Presentation at the British Veterinary Poultry Association Meeting in November, 2010.
VLA National Conference 2010 had a whole day theme on antimicrobial resistance (co-organised by the
Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the British Society for Antimicrobial Resistance).
13. Inscription of diagnostic kits on the OIE Register
i)
Did you participate in expert panels for the validation of candidate kits for inscription on the
OIE Register? If yes, for which kits?
No
ii)
Did you submit to the OIE candidate kits for inscription on the OIE Register? If yes, for
which kits?
No
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2010