Nitte designated FAO reference center for antimicrobial resistance and aquaculture biosecurity

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of United Nations has designated Nitte University, Mangalore as FAO Reference Center for Antimicrobial Resistance and Aquaculture Biosecurity. Nitte has the distinction of being one among the four centers designated by FAO, the others being Mississippi State University, United States; Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute, Guangzhou, China and Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Qingdao, China. This designation has been endorsed by the Government of India. This designation follows the longstanding collaboration that Dr. Indrani Karunasagar and Iddya Karunasagar have been having with FAO in regional capacity building programmes and awareness raising among operators in aquaculture and animal production sectors and Nitte University will strive to meet the expectations of FAO under this programme of FAO Reference Centers and go even beyond working closely with other institutions in India and other reference centers in US and China. The launch event at FAO Rome was attended by Dr. Indrani Karunasagar and Dr. Iddya Karunasagar. The Prochancellor of Nitte University, Mr. Vishal Hegde addressed the event online.

Nitte University is planning an international One Health event in 2024 to bring together world leaders in mitigation of antimicrobial resistance so that the experience global best practices can be shared with other countries. Currently Nitte University is working with FAO to develop guidelines for surveillance of antimicrobial use and developing risk profile for antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic bacterial pathogens that may be associated with the aquatic environment.