Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 21, 2026
10:26
Author Spotlight: A Cost-Effective Genomic Workflow for Advancing Rabies Control in Resource-Limited Settings
Published on: August 18, 2023
6.6K
Whole-Genome Sequencing for Routine Pathogen Surveillance in Public Health: a Population Snapshot of Invasive
David M Aanensen1, Edward J Feil2, Matthew T G Holden3
1Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom The Centre for Genomic Pathogen Surveillance, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Mbio
|May 7, 2016
Summary
Routine whole-genome sequencing (WGS) transforms bacterial pathogen surveillance by identifying high-risk clones using population data and gene content. This approach offers reliable antibiotic resistance predictions and a roadmap for future molecular epidemiology.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Genomics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a global public health emergency.
- Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) shows promise for pathogen surveillance and outbreak detection.
- Integrating WGS data requires robust datasets and bioinformatic tools.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the utility of WGS for identifying high-risk bacterial clones.
- To provide a roadmap for integrating WGS into routine pathogen surveillance.
- To assess the reliability of in silico antibiotic resistance predictions.
Main Methods:
- Combined WGS data from 308 invasive Staphylococcus aureus isolates with epidemiological and resistance data.
- Utilized geospatial visualization software for public health data analysis.
- Inferred virulence and resistance properties based on gene content.
Main Results:
- Identified high-risk clones using population properties like clonal relatedness, abundance, and spatial structuring.
- Demonstrated that in silico antibiotic resistance predictions are as reliable as phenotypic testing.
- Showcased the integration of WGS data for a pan-European population snapshot.
Conclusions:
- WGS is a transformative tool for monitoring bacterial pathogen emergence and spread.
- A comprehensive approach requires large-scale surveys, WGS, and community-oriented database infrastructure.
- This work provides a vital roadmap for future molecular epidemiological surveillance.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Principles of Disease Surveillance
766
Disease surveillance is the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data essential to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice. This process integrates data dissemination to entities responsible for preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. Surveillance systems provide crucial information for action, helping public health authorities make informed decisions to manage and prevent outbreaks, ensure public safety, optimize...
766
03:00Next-generation Sequencing
100.8K
The first human genome sequencing project cost $2.7 billion and was declared complete in 2003, after 15 years of international cooperation and collaboration between several research teams and funding agencies. Today, with the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies, the cost and time of sequencing a human genome have dropped over 100 fold.
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features....
Next-Generation Sequencing Methods
Although all next-generation methods use different technologies, they all share a set of standard features....
100.8K
01:29Modern Molecular Taxonomy
827
Advancements in molecular biology have revolutionized the identification and characterization of bacteria, with multiple methods leveraging DNA sequencing for enhanced precision. As sequencing technologies improve and costs decline, these approaches are increasingly used in clinical, environmental, and evolutionary studies.Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) examines several housekeeping genes, essential chromosomal genes encoding cellular functions, to distinguish strains. Approximately...
827
01:57Sanger Sequencing
777.7K
DNA sequencing is a fundamental technique that is routinely used in the biological sciences. This method can be applied to a range of questions at different scales - from the sequencing of a cloned DNA fragment or the study of a mutation in a gene up to whole-genome sequencing. However, despite the widespread use of sequencing today, it was not until 1977 that Fredrick Sanger and his collaborators developed the chain-termination method to decode DNA sequences. It relies on the separation of a...
777.7K
02:02Genomics
41.7K
Genomics is the science of genomes: it is the study of all the genetic material of an organism. In humans, the genome consists of information carried in 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus, as well as mitochondrial DNA. In genomics, both coding and non-coding DNA is sequenced and analyzed. Genomics allows a better understanding of all living things, their evolution, and their diversity. It has a myriad of uses: for example, to build phylogenetic trees, to improve productivity and...
41.7K
01:23Investigation of Disease Outbreaks
27
Multistate foodborne outbreaks pose significant public health risks and require meticulous investigation to identify sources and implement control measures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) utilizes a dynamic seven-step process for these investigations, integrating data from laboratories, interviews, and environmental assessments to protect public health.Outbreak Detection: The detection of multistate outbreaks typically begins with PulseNet, the CDC's national laboratory...
27