WHO AGISAR Tricycle project

One of the terms of reference of the WHO Collaborating Centre Risk Assessment of Pathogens in Food and Water is to assist WHO in raising awareness, strengthening knowledge, and developing and implementing guidance on antimicrobial resistance. One of the currently ongoing projects in which the WHO CC aids WHO addressing antimicrobial resistance in a One Health approach is the WHO AGISAR Tricycle project.

Circulation of antibiotic resistant bacteria in humans, food, and the environment and the resulting exposure of human beings to these bacteria may be significant, yet global information on exposure is scarce. Furthermore, a harmonised protocol to detect ESBL-producing bacteria specifically is lacking.

The main objectives of this project are:

  1.  to produce a protocol for detection of ESBL-E.coli in different matrices such as human feces and wastewater
  2. to train personnel from piloting countries throughout the different WHO regions
  3. set-up such integrated surveillance to obtain the first global ESBL-EC results.

Other interested member states can follow the same protocol and compare their results with others.