Impact of whole genome sequencing on the investigation of food-borne outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroup O157:H7, England, 2013 to 2017.

ABSTRACT: We aim to provide insight and guidance on the utility of whole genome sequencing (WGS) data for investigating food-borne outbreaks of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 in England between 2013 and 2017. Analysis of WGS data delivered an unprecedented level of strain discrimination when compared with multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis. The robustness of the WGS method ensured confidence in the microbiological identification of linked cases, even when epidemiological links were obscured. There was evidence that phylogeny derived from WGS data can be used to trace the geographical origin of an isolate. Further analysis of the phylogenetic data provided insight on the evolutionary context of emerging pathogenic strains. Publically available WGS data linked to

SUBMITTER: Jenkins C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6352002 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature