The Antimicrobial Resistance Network (AMRNet): Overview
The AMRNet surveillance program collects antimicrobial resistance data submitted by Canadian laboratories.
- Last updated: 2026-08-05
What is AMRNet?
The Public Health Agency of Canada actively monitors trends in antimicrobial resistance through the AMRNet surveillance program. AMRNet takes a integrated ‘One-Health’ approach to surveillance and includes information on antimicrobial resistance in both humans and animals.
Figure 1: AMRNet includes results from laboratory tests for antimicrobial resistace. AMRNet includes data from both human and veterinary laboratories across Canada.
AMRNet aims to provide timely analysis and reporting of antimicrobial resistance testing from public and private human and veterinary laboratories across Canada. This surveillance program includes all bacterial and fungal pathogens that are tested for antimicrobial resistance including World Health Organization’s priority pathogen list for antimicrobial resistance:
- Acinetobacter spp.
- Escherichia coli
- Klebsiella pneumonia
- Neisseria gonorrhoeae
- Salmonella spp.
- Shigella spp.
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
When a specimen from a patient or an animal is sent for antimicrobial resistance testing at a participating site, AMRNet collects the results of the test as well as some high-level characteristics on the patient or animal (such as species or age group).
What is antimicrobial resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance is a serious global public health problem. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria or other microorganisms are no longer susceptible to the medications that we use to treat them. The overuse or misuse of antibiotics can make resistant bacteria more common. Globally, infections caused by resistant bacteria have become more common.
Figure 2: Antibiotics can help kill types of bacteria that make people ill. Some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics, meaning that they can survive antibiotic treatment. While antibiotics kill bacteria that cause illness, resistant bacteria can grow and multiply.
What are the benefits of AMRNet?
Through the information generated by AMRNet, the Public Health Agency of Canada and our partners are able to:
- Monitor rates of antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals across Canada
- Detect the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in Canada
- Share timely information on antimicrobial resistance with Canadians
- Support Canadian research and innovation on antimicrobial resistance
- Build antimicrobial stewardship capacity for humans and animals in Canada
- Share information on antimicrobial resistance with the international community
Our partners
AMRNet was founded and is led by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory (NML). The network is a collaborative effort between the National Microbiology Laboratory, provincial/territorial public health organizations, as well as veterinary and clinical laboratories across Canada.
Reports and publications
- Overview of AMRNet surveillance program in the Canada Communicable Disease Report (CCDR) publication
- AMRNet data presented in the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (CARSS) Report
Related links
- Information on antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in foodborne bacteria along the food chain can be found on the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) website.
- The Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP) monitors healthcare-associated infections at participating acute-care hospitals across Canada.
- The Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance (CARA) is a research group dedicated to the study of medical microbiology/infectious diseases issues with special interest in infections caused by antimicrobial resistant pathogens as well as antimicrobial usage in Canada.
- Information on Canada’s updated 2025 Antimicrobial Resistant Priority Pathogen list can be found here: Canada's priority antimicrobial-resistant pathogens - Canada.ca.
- The full article describing the 2025 AMR Priority Pathogen list can be found here: Canada’s 2025 AMR priority pathogens: Evidence-based ranking and public health implications | PLOS One.
- An evaluation of the strengths and limitations of current Canadian AMR surveillance systems in detecting and monitoring high-risk pathogens identified in 2025 can be found here: AMR surveillance in Canada: Insights from the 2025 Priority Pathogen List | PLOS One.
Contact AMRNet
National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada
1015 Arlington Street
Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P6
Email: amrnet-resram@phac-aspc.gc.ca
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