Register      Login
Microbiology Australia Microbiology Australia Society
Microbiology Australia, bringing Microbiologists together
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Impact of whole genome sequencing in Public Health reference laboratories

Amy V Jennison
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Public Health Microbiology, Forensic and Scientific Services
Queensland Department of Health
Coopers Plains
Brisbane, Qld 4108, Australia
Tel: +61 7 3096 2826
Email: Amy.Jennison@health.qld.gov.au

Microbiology Australia 38(4) 168-171 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA17060
Published: 31 October 2017

Abstract

Public Health Microbiology reference laboratories fulfil a critical role in providing overarching testing and surveillance for notifiable, emerging and important pathogens. These duties require the laboratory to possess an extensive repertoire of validated assays and the ability to rapidly respond to novel threats and outbreaks. For these, among other reasons, the ‘one stop shop' approach of whole genome sequencing (WGS) has been embraced by microbiology reference laboratories. The ability to replace multiple labour-intensive assays with a single technique of superior typeability and discrimination at an often competitive price, although not without its challenges, has already begun to change the workflow of Public Health reference laboratories.


References

[1]  Ashton, P.M. et al. (2016) Identification of Salmonella for public health surveillance using whole genome sequencing. PeerJ 4, e1752.
Identification of Salmonella for public health surveillance using whole genome sequencing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[2]  Chattaway, M.A. et al. (2016) Whole genome sequencing for public health surveillance of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli other than serogroup O157. Front. Microbiol. 7, 258.
Whole genome sequencing for public health surveillance of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli other than serogroup O157.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[3]  Jackson, B.R. et al. (2016) Implementation of nationwide real-time whole-genome sequencing to enhance listeriosis outbreak detection and investigation. Clin. Infect. Dis. 63, 380–386.
Implementation of nationwide real-time whole-genome sequencing to enhance listeriosis outbreak detection and investigation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[4]  Kwong, J.C. et al. (2016) Sharing is caring: international sharing of data enhances genomic surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes. Clin. Infect. Dis. 63, 846–848.
Sharing is caring: international sharing of data enhances genomic surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[5]  Kwong, J.C. et al. (2016) Prospective whole-genome sequencing enhances national surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes. J. Clin. Microbiol. 54, 333–342.
Prospective whole-genome sequencing enhances national surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC28Xps1ensLs%3D&md5=eedd228d2a7d589510de704de34b1417CAS |

[6]  Martin, N.V. et al. (2016) Rise in invasive serogroup W meningococcal disease in Australia 2013–2015. Commun. Dis. Intell. Q. Rep. 40, E454–E459.

[7]  Doyle, C.J. et al. (2017) Sequence analysis of toxin gene-bearing Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains, Australia. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 23, 105–107.
Sequence analysis of toxin gene-bearing Corynebacterium diphtheriae strains, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[8]  Ellington, M.J. et al. (2017) The role of whole genome sequencing in antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacteria: report from the EUCAST Subcommittee. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 23, 2–22.
The role of whole genome sequencing in antimicrobial susceptibility testing of bacteria: report from the EUCAST Subcommittee.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC2sjgslChsQ%3D%3D&md5=f43f996f2c792ec5b792efcdc17c41c2CAS |

[9]  McDermott, P.F. et al. (2016) Whole-genome sequencing for detecting antimicrobial resistance in nontyphoidal Salmonella. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 60, 5515–5520.
Whole-genome sequencing for detecting antimicrobial resistance in nontyphoidal Salmonella.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2sXhtlKksLg%3D&md5=ae4eb4fcea89c0de0c3a7c684f1b5e99CAS |

[10]  Hasman, H. et al. (2014) Rapid whole-genome sequencing for detection and characterization of microorganisms directly from clinical samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 52, 139–146.
Rapid whole-genome sequencing for detection and characterization of microorganisms directly from clinical samples.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[11]  Kovanen, S.M. et al. (2014) Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and whole-genome MLST of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from human infections in three districts during a seasonal peak in Finland. J. Clin. Microbiol. 52, 4147–4154.
Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and whole-genome MLST of Campylobacter jejuni isolates from human infections in three districts during a seasonal peak in Finland.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[12]  Octavia, S. et al. (2015) Delineating community outbreaks of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium by use of whole-genome sequencing: insights into genomic variability within an outbreak. J. Clin. Microbiol. 53, 1063–1071.
Delineating community outbreaks of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium by use of whole-genome sequencing: insights into genomic variability within an outbreak.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC2MXlsFSlt7Y%3D&md5=2a60292c1f852afb28ad4badf5dddca4CAS |

[13]  Ruppitsch, W. et al. (2015) Defining and evaluating a core genome multilocus sequence typing scheme for whole-genome sequence-based typing of Listeria monocytogenes. J. Clin. Microbiol. 53, 2869–2876.
Defining and evaluating a core genome multilocus sequence typing scheme for whole-genome sequence-based typing of Listeria monocytogenes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC28Xpt1Oqsbg%3D&md5=56d93c4bc3d760bdd464baae1ba9c8bfCAS |

[14]  McGann, P. et al. (2016) Real time application of whole genome sequencing for outbreak investigation – what is an achievable turnaround time? Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 85, 277–282.
Real time application of whole genome sequencing for outbreak investigation – what is an achievable turnaround time?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC28Xns1egurk%3D&md5=b8961fc45a4c0027c52a109a647428eaCAS |

[15]  Shaban, R.Z. et al. (2017) Outbreak of health care-associated Burkholderia cenocepacia bacteremia and infection attributed to contaminated sterile gel used for central line insertion under ultrasound guidance and other procedures. Am. J. Infect. Control 45, 954–958.
Outbreak of health care-associated Burkholderia cenocepacia bacteremia and infection attributed to contaminated sterile gel used for central line insertion under ultrasound guidance and other procedures.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[16]  Gorrie, C.L. et al. (2017) Gastrointestinal carriage is a major reservoir of Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in intensive care patients. Clin. Infect. Dis. 65, 208–215.
Gastrointestinal carriage is a major reservoir of Klebsiella pneumoniae infection in intensive care patients.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[17]  Mellmann, A. et al. (2016) Real-time genome sequencing of resistant bacteria provides precision infection control in an institutional setting. J. Clin. Microbiol. 54, 2874–2881.
Real-time genome sequencing of resistant bacteria provides precision infection control in an institutional setting.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[18]  Harris, S.R. et al. (2013) Whole-genome sequencing for analysis of an outbreak of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a descriptive study. Lancet Infect. Dis. 13, 130–136.
Whole-genome sequencing for analysis of an outbreak of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a descriptive study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXht1Gksr0%3D&md5=d472aea2ba49b3ff81961c7e20b0df84CAS |

[19]  Votintseva, A.A. et al. (2017) Same-day diagnostic and surveillance data for tuberculosis via whole-genome sequencing of direct respiratory samples. J. Clin. Microbiol. 55, 1285–1298.
Same-day diagnostic and surveillance data for tuberculosis via whole-genome sequencing of direct respiratory samples.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[20]  Graham, R.M. et al. (2017) Epidemiological typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and detection of markers associated with antimicrobial resistance directly from urine samples using next generation sequencing. Sex. Transm. Infect. 93, 65–67.
Epidemiological typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and detection of markers associated with antimicrobial resistance directly from urine samples using next generation sequencing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC28jpsV2jtA%3D%3D&md5=1947e2550ce16435aa541074904c708bCAS |

[21]  Kuroda, M. et al. (2012) Detection of a possible bioterrorism agent, Francisella sp., in a clinical specimen by use of next-generation direct DNA sequencing. J. Clin. Microbiol. 50, 1810–1812.
Detection of a possible bioterrorism agent, Francisella sp., in a clinical specimen by use of next-generation direct DNA sequencing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC38XnsF2ksrc%3D&md5=fa39b0e365076b7645ae32d8ad1fbfabCAS |

[22]  Salzberg, S.L. et al. (2016) Next-generation sequencing in neuropathologic diagnosis of infections of the nervous system. Neurol. Neuroimmunol. Neuroinflamm. 3, e251.
Next-generation sequencing in neuropathologic diagnosis of infections of the nervous system.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[23]  Wilson, M.R. et al. (2014) Actionable diagnosis of neuroleptospirosis by next-generation sequencing. N. Engl. J. Med. 370, 2408–2417.
Actionable diagnosis of neuroleptospirosis by next-generation sequencing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[24]  Allcock, R.J.N. et al. (2017) Towards a universal molecular microbiological test. J. Clin. Microbiol. , .
Towards a universal molecular microbiological test.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |