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UK Health Security Agency

Antimicrobial resistance 

The significant increase in the incidence of antibiotic resistance in bacteria observed in recent years represents a significant challenge to public health microbiology worldwide. Not least among these challenges are extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and carbapenemases among Enterobacteriaceae and other Gram-negative micro-organisms and vancomycin resistance among enterococci.

The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections Reference Unit (AMRHAI) is the national reference laboratory responsible for the detection and investigation of antibiotic resistance, especially in healthcare associated bacterial pathogens, and offers molecular detection of the genetic determinants of certain key resistances.

NCTC, working in partnership with AMRHAI, offers a range of reference strains with characterised resistance mechanisms as well as susceptibility controls strains recommended by the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST), the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and UKHSA.

In partnership with AMRHAI, the NCTC catalogue offers a range of reference strains with characterised resistance mechanisms including:

  • A range of ESBLs, including examples of all major CTX-M groups

  • A range of carbapenemases, including examples of all of the 'big five', which dominate internationally, namely KPC, OXA-48 non-metallo-enzymes and IMP, NDM and VIM metallo-carbapenemases

  • The first reported clinical isolates of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)16

  • Several fully-sequenced (and published) multi-drug resistance plasmids

  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) including the first reported (and whole genome sequenced) strain identified with a novel mecA homologue

We offer a wide range of strains that can be used to control antimicrobial susceptibility testing to:

  • monitor test performance and quality of the materials used

  • confirm that the in-use method will detect resistance

NCTC strains are verified by UKHSA's AMRHAI and are used in diagnostic testing laboratories worldwide.

The strains listed are specifically recommended by one or more of the following:

  • the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST)

  • Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)

  • United Kingdom Standards for Microbiology Investigations (formerly National Standard Methods)

  • British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC)

 

Download the leaflets:

  Antimicrobial Resistant Strains brochure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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