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Infection Prevention pp 187–196Cite as

Whole Genome Sequencing for Outbreak Investigation

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Abstract

Whole genome microbial sequencing provides information at a level of resolution previously unattainable with the molecular biology techniques that have long served as tools for investigating transmission. In the past five years, sequencing has become an indispensable tool for investigating outbreaks on all scales, from local hospital clusters to pandemics. As sequencing platforms and bioinformatics analysis become faster and more accessible, real-time whole genome sequencing is increasingly integral to the fields of public health and hospital epidemiology. The infection control and public health communities must devise ways to translate real-time sequence data into real-time action that can change the course of an outbreak.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH Clinical Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital Epidemiology Service, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 10 Center Drive, Room 12C103A, MSC 1899, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Tara N. Palmore

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  1. Tara N. Palmore
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Correspondence to Tara N. Palmore .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. VCUHS Epidemiology and Infection Control, North Hospital, Richmond, Virginia, USA

    Gonzalo Bearman

  2. Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

    Silvia Munoz-Price

  3. University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Daniel J. Morgan

  4. Department of Medical Affairs and Division of Infectious Diseases, Cedars-Sinai Health System, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Rekha K. Murthy

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Palmore, T.N. (2018). Whole Genome Sequencing for Outbreak Investigation. In: Bearman, G., Munoz-Price, S., Morgan, D., Murthy, R. (eds) Infection Prevention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60980-5_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60980-5_20

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