Tracking antibiotic-resistant bacteria in raw meat and seafood sold in Iowa
Official title: Detection and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance among enteric bacteria from raw retail meat and seafood in Iowa: A NARMS Retail Food Surveillance Project
Funded at Iowa State University · NIH-11389666 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Collects and tests raw retail meat and seafood in Iowa to find antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could affect people's health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ames, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $200,000 |
| NIH project number | 2U01FD007136-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389666 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project does not enroll patients; it samples retail meat and seafood products across Iowa rather than people.
✕Less likely to help
People currently sick with an antibiotic-resistant infection are unlikely to receive direct treatment benefit from this surveillance project itself.
What this research studies
This project samples raw chicken, turkey, beef, pork, and selected seafood from retail stores across Iowa and brings those products to the lab for testing. Lab teams look for bacteria that commonly cause foodborne illness (like Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, Enterococcus, Vibrio, and Aeromonas) and check whether those bacteria resist key antibiotics. Results are compared over time and shared with the FDA's NARMS network to spot trends by product type and location. The work connects food findings with animal and environmental concerns using a One Health approach to help public health planning.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this surveillance can help public health officials spot and limit sources of antibiotic-resistant infections linked to food, improving food safety and treatment guidance.
How similar studies have gone: The FDA's NARMS retail surveillance has a track record of tracking resistance trends and informing policy, though surveillance is a prevention and monitoring effort rather than a clinical treatment.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa State University
Ames, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sahin, Orhan — Iowa State University
- Study coordinator: Sahin, Orhan
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.