Mycoplasmology, Bacteriology and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit (MBA) of the Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory

The activities of the Mycoplasmology, Bacteriology and Antimicrobial Resistance Unit cover porcine and avian mycoplasmoses and certain bacterial infections of pigs, poultry or farmed fish such as Streptococcus suis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, Escherichia coli, etc. The unit also studies epidemiology and mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic, commensal or zoonotic bacteria in pigs, poultry and farmed fish, as well as those in their environments.

Reference activities

The unit is the National Reference Laboratory for avian mycoplasmosis.

It is also part of the National Reference Laboratory on antimicrobial resistance.

Surveillance activities

The MBA Unit takes part in the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria of poultry, pigs and farmed fish, as part of the Résapath network, in partnership with ANSES's Lyon Laboratory.

It is also responsible for the annual monitoring of Campylobacter antimicrobial resistance in livestock animals. This monitoring plan is carried out under Implementing Decision 2013/652/EU, which specifies the methods for harmonising surveillance at European level. Sample collection is planned to ensure random non-targeted sampling, representative of French production. From 2021 onwards, sampling will be carried out for pigs and calves in odd-numbered years, and for chickens and turkeys (which were already monitored previously) in even-numbered years.

For each batch sampled by veterinary services at the slaughterhouse, any Campylobacter strains isolated by the approved laboratories are sent to the MBA Unit, which is tasked with determining the antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated bacteria using a liquid microdilution method based on the CLSI Vet01-A4 standard (CLSI, 2013). The antimicrobials included and the concentration ranges tested are specified in Implementing Decision 2020/1729/EU. The results are published in the journals of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), and the Directorate General for Food (DGAL).

Research activities

The unit's research activities contribute to a better understanding of mycoplasmoses and other bacterial infections in pigs, fish and poultry, and of antimicrobial resistance of pathogenic or sentinel (commensal) bacteria in pigs, poultry, fish or their environments. Its work is in line with the One Health approach: it helps clarify how livestock farming and medical treatment practices influence animal health and antimicrobial resistance phenomena on farms and in the environment, as well as their impact on human health. Its research projects also focus on preventive medical approaches (vaccination) and alternatives to antibiotic therapy (phage therapy, probiotics).

Main ongoing research projects

The unit is involved in several projects on the characterisation of pathogenic strains and means of infection control, the antimicrobial resistance of pathogenic bacterial strains (Enterococcus cecorum, S. suis, various species of avian and swine mycoplasmas) or bacteria of aquatic origin (Aeromonas, Vibrio, etc.), and on resistance to critical antibiotics such as the latest generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones and colistin. Some projects are also examining the impact or benefits of alternatives to antibiotics (probiotics, vaccination, etc.) in poultry, pigs, fish and shrimps.

ASTEROIDE (2024-2025) – ANSES project

Cross-cutting ANSES project on the assessment of the Shotgun metagenomics tool for exploring two scientific questions: taxonomic assignment and the search for target genes in matrices of interest.

Partners: Two other units of the Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory (HQPAP, GVB unit-Sequencing platform), the UZB unit of ANSES's Maisons-Alfort Laboratory for Animal Health, the Nematology and Mycology units of ANSES's Plant Health Laboratory and the ANSES training department.

EVASION (2020-2024) – EcoAntibio

Project funded by the EcoAntibio2 plan to assess the impact of using an autogenous vaccine against Streptococcus suis on immunological status and tonsil carriage in sows and their offspring, under experimental conditions and on commercial farms affected by streptococcal infection. Final investigations were completed in 2024.

Partners: Two other units/departments of the Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory (EpiSaBe, SPPAE), INRAE and Oniris, as well as professionals from the swine sector.

EXOVIRULOME (2021-2024) – PhD funded by ANSES, the Côtes-d'Armor Departmental Council and the Saint-Brieuc urban community

The secretome of animal mycoplasmas: inter-species comparison, role in pathogenicity and application to diagnostics.
Partner: ANSES (Animal Mycoplasmosis unit, Lyon Laboratory)

ICONIC  (2022-2025) – JPI-AMR project

Project on the possible co-selection of Enterococcus spp. strains resistant to vancomycin and macrolides through the use of ionophore coccidiostats in poultry farming.

Partners: ANSES (VIPAC unit, Ploufragan Laboratory), WR (NL), NVI (NO), UO (NO), SRI (IT), PIWET (PL).

MOPGA (2023-2024) – Post-doctorate funded by Campus France

Phenotypic and genotypic study of the antibiotic susceptibility of aquatic bacteria (Aeromonas spp., Vibrio spp., Enterococcus and Enterobacteriaceae) in wild fish and water from a Tunisian wadi (Oued Hamon ).

Partners: ANSES (Maldi-Tof Nancy platform, IdentyPath platform); BfR (Consultant Laboratory for Vibrios); Ibn Al Jazzar Faculty of Medicine (Tunisia).

MyMIC (2023-2024) – JPI-AMR project

Collaborative network funded by the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPI-AMR, "Diagnostics and Surveillance Networks" call). Inventory of the different methods used by laboratories to identify, culture and determine minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for each animal and mycoplasma species, and to detect resistance mechanisms using molecular or genomic tools.

Partners: 22 laboratories from 18 countries working on the diagnosis of animal mycoplasmas and their susceptibility to antimicrobials.

Qualif'R (2021-2024) – LIT Ouesterel project

Cross-sector project to qualify innovative air sampling tools for diagnosing infections in poultry and pigs.

Partners: Five other units or departments of the Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory (EpiSaBe, VIPAC, VIP, SELEAC, SPPAE) as well as professional partners from the sectors involved.

Réapol (2022-2025) – EcoAntibio project

National review of antibiotic resistance phenotypes in commensal and pathogenic flora of farmed fish.

Partners: ANSES (EpiSaBe unit, Maldi-Tof Nancy platform); Technical Institute for Poultry, Rabbit and Fish Farming (ITAVI) – Aquaculture Department; French Interprofessional Committee for Aquaculture Products (CIPA); aquaculture veterinarians and veterinary testing laboratories.