Detection of relevant multi-resistant pathogens and prevalence monitoring in poultry farming (MEDiaG)

Development of mobile on-site diagnostics for the detection of relevant multi-resistant pathogens and establishment of prevalence monitoring in poultry farming

Drug-resistant pathogens threaten healthcare systems worldwide. The intensive use of antibiotics in livestock farming exacerbates this problem and restricts therapeutic options in human medicine. While point-of-care molecular diagnostics is increasingly used in human medicine, it is still underrepresented in veterinary medicine. However, regular molecular diagnostics on site would enable targeted interventions, which could minimize the use of antibiotics and prevent the development of drug-resistant strains, thereby increasing animal welfare. In the context of the planned EU-wide information system for monitoring multi-resistant pathogens (MRP), the MEDiaG projects aims to develop a portable, on-site molecular diagnostics platform for poultry farming. At the same time, a prevalence monitoring strategy is being developed to detect the development of resistances in the animal population at an early stage. This combination of diagnostics and monitoring not only allows rapid identification of MRP, but also provides an effective basis for precise treatment decisions for the poultry farming of tomorrow.