DPR/240223 - ARHAI - Standardisation of antimicrobial susceptibility testing

Surveillance of AMR in the EU is mandated to follow case definitions laid out in Commission Implementing Decisions. The respective definitions for AMR refer to European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) clinical breakpoints and epidemiological cutoffs. Therefore EU Members States must report AST data for ECDC surveillance networks using EUCAST validated methods and interpretation of test results with EUCAST breakpoints. The respective EUCAST guidance and breakpoints need to be updated continously, for example to include new antibiotic substances and new evidence regarding resistance mechanisms. The quality of ECDC surveillance of AMR is dependent on EUCAST being able to update relevant information continously. EUCAST is a non-profit organisation located at the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) and is unique as no other organisation has the respective mandate and could provide similar services to ECDC. ECDC has supported the EUCAST work to ensure that breakpoints and testing guidance are updated for pathogens under ECDC surveillance since 2017 and most recently under FWC/ECDC/2020/005. The purpose of this procurement is to continue to secure EUCAST services including continued determination and validation of breakpoints for minimum inhibitory concentrations and disk diffusion, determination and revision of ECOFFs, coordination and provision of guidance, dissemination of respective outputs and related training for key pathogens under ECDC surveillance.