Whole-Genome Sequencing Reveals the Contribution of Long-Term Carriers in Staphylococcus aureus Outbreak Investigation.

ABSTRACT: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) makes it possible to determine the relatedness of bacterial isolates at a high resolution, thereby helping to characterize outbreaks. However, for Staphylococcus aureus, the accumulation of within-host diversity during carriage might limit the interpretation of sequencing data. In this study, we hypothesized the converse, namely, that within-host diversity can in fact be exploited to reveal the involvement of long-term carriers (LTCs) in outbreaks. We analyzed WGS data from 20 historical outbreaks and applied phylogenetic methods to assess genetic relatedness and to estimate the time to most recent common ancestor (TMRCA). The findings were compared with the routine investigation results and epidemiological evidence. Outbreaks with epidemiological evide

SUBMITTER: Gordon NC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5483921 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature