A Topsy-Turvy World Where Pathogen Sequencing Leads Infection Control

Explore Sharon Peacock's opening talk at Microbe 2018 on revolutionizing hospital infection prevention and control through pathogen sequencing. Discover how this cutting-edge approach is reshaping outbreak detection methodologies, offering superior accuracy and urgency compared to conventional methods. Learn about the proposed redesign for hospital outbreak detection, the advantages of sequencing over current typing techniques, and the ability to uncover cryptic transmissions. Examine a direct comparison between traditional and sequence-informed outbreak investigations, and understand the potential impact and cost-effectiveness of implementing this innovative approach. Gain insights into the consequences of outbreaks and how sequencing might prevent them, illustrated through a case study of an SCBU outbreak. Delve into the implementation process, including reporting for infection control and a decision tree model estimating the impact on a 12-month MRSA cohort.

Syllabus

Intro
Hospital outbreak detection: an essential but'unseen' service
Accurate & urgent outbreak detection: scope to do better?
Basis for current outbreak methodology
Hospital outbreak detection in 2018
Proposed redesign for hospital outbreak detection
Sequencing is better than current typing for outbreaks
Direct comparison between conventional versus sequence-informed outbreak investigation
Sequencing is superior to standard outbreak detection But when to use?
'Blind' sequencing detects cryptic transmission
Consequences of the SCBU outbreak: what might have been prevented?
Extensive cryptic transmission revealed by sequencing
Implementation
Report for infection control
Cost effectiveness: decision tree model to estimate impact, 12 month MRSA cohort