2 Introduction to DANMAP
Read the full introductory chapter here
Report Highlights 2023:
Introduction to DANMAP
The DANMAP surveillance system DANMAP is a surveillance system with five key objectives:
- To establish the state-of-nation in regards to the use of antimicrobial agents in food-producing animals and humans
- To carry out surveillance of the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria isolated from food-producing animals, food of animal origin (meat) and humans
- To identify areas for further research, e.g. antimicrobial resistance transmission or possible associations between antimicrobial consumption and antimicrobial resistance
- To deliver data to veterinarians, medical doctors and other health professionals for the development of antibiotic treatment guidelines
- To act as a knowledge base for authorities, academia and politicians when performing risk assessment and management, thus supporting decision making in the prevention and
control of resistant bacterial infections
Since 2021, DANMAP also provides an integrated analysis of resistance in bacteria from humans and food animals.
The monitoring programme was initially developed in 1995 by researchers, based on frequent discussions and exchange of knowledge and results from research. Since then, DANMAP has evolved into a governmentally supported programme.
However, much of the design of the programme, including participation of the human laboratories and referral of strains is based on a voluntary principle.
DANMAP surveillance relies on four equally important components: well-established and well-functioning diagnostic systems, well-designed and representative surveys, reliable registers as well as mutual trust and openness between all collaborators.
A positive effect of the regular meetings and exchange between stakeholders is that these prove helpful in other aspects, for example, by contributing to a common knowledge pool regarding laboratory methods. This ensures and contributes to continuous improvements and harmonisation of the laboratory work. Meetings across sectors and between different stakeholders also contribute to a better mutual understanding, facilitating development and work towards mutual goals.
Surveillance is a complex undertaking and DANMAP encompasses many different surveillance components and covers resistance in different populations and contexts.
These categories of bacteria are included in DANMAP:
- Human clinical isolates to reflect the antimicrobial resistance levels in the human population that seeks medical care
- Foodborne zoonotic bacteria along the whole farm-topatient chain to monitor the levels of antimicrobial resistance in shared pathogens
- Indicator bacteria from healthy food-producing animals to monitor status of antimicrobial resistance in the animal reservoirs
- Clinical isolates from sick food-producing animals to monitor resistance
The National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the National AMR reference laboratory at Statens Serum Institut (SSI) are responsible for data interpretation and output communication mainly via the annual DANMAP report and seminar. Interpretations are independent of policy, risk management and private industries.
The DANMAP programme is funded jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. Support from the ministries has also helped build the databases and maintaining the registers, which the current surveillance system relies upon.
For further information on the development and history of DANMAP, please read Chapter 2, “DANMAP – A 20 year perspective” in DANMAP 2015 and Chapter 1, "DANMAP - the beginning" in DANMAP 2020.