For the study, state and local health officials used whole genome sequencing to examine the transmission of a Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria strain at a hospital in Northern California. The strain demonstrated resistance to carbapenems — a last-resort antibiotic.
The hospital found eight patients tested positive for this strain between 2013 and 2015.
“[Whole genome sequencing] allowed us to understand and demonstrate connections among the patients over a multiple year time period, which would not have been possible using epidemiologic information alone,” study author Varvara Kozyreva, PhD, of the California Department of Public Health, said in a press release.
Dr. Kozyreva said whole genome sequencing could help hospitals and health officials identify disease transmission paths and implement interventions sooner.
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