Grŵp Cyflawni ar Ymwrthedd Gwrthficrobau mewn Anifeiliaid a'r Amgylchedd: 29 Mehefin 2021

Gavin Watkins (GW)
Christianne Glossop (CG)
Ifan Lloyd (IF)
Sarah Carr (SC)
Andrew Singer (AS)
James Delaney (JD)
Rob Smith (RS) 
Tamsin Dewe (TD)
Chris Bell (CB)
Geraint Hamer (GH) 
Angela Jermyn (AJ)
Christopher Teale (CT) 
Ian Jones (IJ) 
Wyn Evans (WE) 
David Jackson (DJ)
Kristen Rayher (KR)
Sian Timms (ST)

Marion Lyons 
Ann Davies 
Eifiona Williams 
Gwen Rees
Gareth Thomas
Catherine Cody 
Kitty Healy
Robin Howe 
Amelia Stevens

• ACTION037 – Present figures on the reduction of antibiotic sales and usage. IL - Can present some info, especially in relation to prophylactic usage. Also info on lambing usage can be viewed showing some farms reducing usage to zero purchases. More info should be available when the WLBP tool becomes available. Other measures also contributing such as hygiene and body conditioning, double naval dipping and colostrum etc. and good husbandry measures. IL questioned how we’d like the data presented – action to be taken offline and closed.

• JD – presentation to follow, which will highlight his work and updates of interest for the DG.
• GH – Seeing greater collaboration with Defra and the other administrations, which is an improvement. GH also introduced Andrew Singer and Isobel Stanton to the DG.
• AS – from the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) working on AMR in the environment. In the last year has been focussing surveillance on COVID in wastewater, which opened a lot of new avenues for surveillance – created a lot of potential. UKCEH report is due to be finished this week.
• IJ – Have had a reduction in sales of medicines by approx. 20-30% although turnover has increased, demonstrating the increased understanding around responsible prescribing/usage. Working with WLBP to produce live usage figures. Issue about large eggs/overproduction and health and welfare – no actual literature available although now working to produce data to support evidence this issue. Vets throughout wales have been brilliant and positive actions are being seen. Everybody is working together and education is achieving a change in mind set. GW – suggested we record the large eggs issue as something to take forward with the VMD by providing actual evidence. GW will raise with VMD/Defra. IJ – the projects coming out of this group have shaped our approach here in Wales.
• IL – Continue to be very involved with AVC. Will provide a further update as we move forward. Continue to provide representation on the TTF2 group.
• DJ – next UK NAP DB is on Thursday 1^st July. Will keep colleagues informed of outcome from these meetings, to ensure that the link between groups in maintained.  
• KR – Lead AMR research at the University of Bristol. Also on the GW4 AMR Alliance. Also work with Gwen Rees on AVC project – final interviews with vets and support staff now taking place. Three abstracts submitted to the BVCA for consideration and discussion during their September meeting.
• RS – No updates other than to echo comments of others that AVC is making a real difference on the ground.
• SC – New group member to represent the AHWFG. The AHWFG have submitted a response to the WG Agri White Paper strongly emphasising the importance of recognising health and welfare in any support schemes. Including the importance of medicine usage and environmental outcomes.
• CG – British Horse Council meeting – raised the issue of AMR. There is a big difference between small animal, farm and equine veterinary perceptions.
• TD – Will be providing an AMR one health surveillance update later in the meeting.
• CT – Will provide an update during upcoming agenda item.
• ST – Continuing to recruit a student placement to support our approach to companion animals. Preparing a first draft of the 2020 annual review document. Taking forward publication of the AVC certificates. Continuing to support RPW in assessing the RDP application for funding. Fed into UK NAP reporting via health colleagues. Joined the GW4 AMR Alliance, Euroactive event and ROADMAP conferences. Scheduled a RUMA catch-up for the 29^th July. Beginning preparations to support WAAW. Welcome suggestions for other areas to consider taking forward or stakeholders that we could approach.
• GW – New agriculture support scheme to be put in place by 2024. AMR isn’t one of the three components of the scheme as it is included via measures such as animal health planning (infection prevention and control). Biosecurity standard and animal welfare standards above the legal minimum are also included. Consultation and scheme design exercises have been taken forward on a co-design principle to support industry needs. Trade – various meetings with Defra and the VMD on the changes as a consequence of leaving the EU – raises the question about imports from countries that use antibiotics as a growth promotion. Work is ongoing on confirming the UK policy position.

Contents:

1. UK Veterinary AMR Surveillance Programme.
2. Food producing animal’s v’s companion animals.
3. EU Harmonised Monitoring
4. EU Statutory Monitoring
5. Key UK One Health Findings from EU Surveillance
6. Poultry Sector
7. Usefulness of Surveillance Outcomes
8. Salmonella in Food Producing Animals
9. Future Development: Salmonella Whole Genome Sequencing
10. Combined Sewage Overflows
11. Scanning Surveillance
12. MDR Swine Dysentery – Animal Health Threat
13. High Risk Resistance – ResAlert System

• GW – who monitors beef samples as not an EU requirement? CT - it’s the FSA.
• GW – Does the salmonella found in birds cause them illness? CT - Salmonella that are found in turkeys are totally adapted to the birds, but do cause illness in humans.
• CG – Any feel for the impacts on the health of the national flock with the reduced usage rates? What’s the feel for poultry health when driving down usage? CT – there’s a balance that you can achieve with husbandry/biosecurity. But there are issues that can be seen and there are times when antibiotics have to be used. We must keep an eye and focus on what we’re trying to achieve.
• KR – VARRS 2019 will include enough years to track resistance over a period of time? CT – agreed, we may now have some data for further consideration. TD – because of the mix between pigs and poultry each year, we don’t have a full set of data. EFSA may have five data points, but not the six that is required. CT – we also don’t always have the split by species. KR – it’s going to take a lot of data to establish answers about the link between reduced usage and reduced resistance, and drug/bug combinations.

Contents:

1. One Health Integrated Surveillance.
2. Background.
3. OHIS – Purpose and Vision.
4. OHIS – Overarching Issues
5. OHIS – The Process.
6. OHIS – The Priorities.

• KR – Looking forward to seeing what comes out of this work. We have been working to try and merge datasets to bring this together. Also been contacted by private vets looking to undertake surveillance of resistance – have you linked with industry? TD – most of our industry links are via Fraser Broadfoot and private labs. It raises a good point and we’ll consider this approach. KR – there is available data from industry. Happy to share what has been learnt from our experiences.
• GW – has been pushing for AMR surveillance for a long time and recognise that this is a huge task and we have limited resources. Picking out what is the most useful thing to measure will be key and part of the purpose of this new group (OHIS) is to look at our own surveillance arrangements. One particular consideration for this group is filling the gap on sheep and cattle data here in Wales.
• TD – Big salmonella outbreak related to sheep a few years ago. Resulted in the request to monitor salmonella in sheep. The VMD are interested in ‘piggy backing’ on this to capture some AMR data at the same time. Action: GW – to discuss with Gosia Siwonia within the WG.

Contents:

1. The Basics: What are Antimicrobials?
2. Models for Understanding the Drivers of AMR in the Environment
3. Drivers of AMR Selection and Dissemination Pathways
4. AMR Selection & Dissemination from Humans
5. AMR Selection & Dissemination from Animals
6. AMR Selection & Dissemination from Aquaculture
7. AMR Selection & Dissemination from Manufacturing
8. AMR Selection & Dissemination from Agriculture
9. Transmission of AMR from Environment to Humans
10. Solutions: Reduce AMR Risk to Humans, Animals and Public Health

No time available for questions

Contents:

1. Background to AMR in the environment
2. Introduction to the impact of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) on the accumulation of AMR in rivers
3. Data on antimicrobial resistance gene (ARG) prevalence data upstream and downstream of a large STP.
4. Touched on the work carried out to bring the UK CEH AMR report to fruition.
5. Mentioned the previous AMR catchment study carried out by Emma Hayhurst’s group at the University of South Wales (USW) and Welsh Water, with plans to carry out a further AMR catchment study alongside Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Mentioned that there is the possibility of combining NRW’s capacity for quantification of antimicrobial concentrations in water with Emma Hayhurst’s molecular methods in a future study.

No time available for questions.

(via email, following the meeting)

1. Review of activities undertaken in 2020/21:
   • We will be seeking your contributions and sharing a draft document w/c 12 July. Please take some time to consider and provide feedback.

2. European/World Antibiotic Awareness Day/Week (18-24 November):

• Please forward any suggestions for activities to support this campaign and, please let us know about any activities that we can support. We will be joining a UK wide planning session on the 14 July.

3. Date of the next meeting:

• 24^th September 2021 – agenda items welcome.

4. Meeting dates for 2022:

• Doodle link attached.