Foodborne and Zoonotic Enteric Pathogens (Past Projects)
Enhanced national surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes
Project Summary
Listeria monocytogenes food-borne pathogen capable of causing severe invasive disease in humans, including meningoencephalitis and sepsis. Due to its propensity for transmission in food products and ability to cause illness, L. monocytogenes is monitored by a national surveillance system (OzFoodNet) to detect related strains that may be reflective of a contaminated food source and subsequent outbreak.
In recent years, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has become the new benchmark for surveillance of L. monocytogenes. The Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory is the Australian Listeria reference laboratory and routinely receives isolates for typing and strain comparison. This project aims to develop the WGS systems in place for routine national surveillance of L. monocytogenes and outbreak detection and investigation.
Project Partners
OzFoodNet, ACT, Australia
Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), Victoria, Australia
Australian Public Health Laboratory Network, Australia
FDA GenomeTrakr Project, USA
Publications
[size=2]Kwong JC, Stafford R, Strain E, Stinear TP, Seemann T & Howden BP. Clin Infect Dis, 2016 (advance access); doi: 10.1093/cid/ciw359[/size]
Prospective whole genome sequencing enhances national surveillance of Listeria monocytogenes
[size=2]Kwong JC, Mercoulia K, Tomita T, Easton M, Li HY, Bulach DM, Stinear TP, Seemann T & Howden BP. J Clin Microbiol, 2015 Nov; doi: 10.1128/JCM.02344-15[/size]