Popovich Kyle J, Snitkin Evan S
Department of Internal Medicine, University Infectious Diseases, Rush University Medical Center, Stroger Hospital of Cook County, 600 South Paulina, Suite 143, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Microbial Systems, University of Michigan, 1520D MSRB I, 1150 W. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5680, USA.
Curr Infect Dis Rep. 2017 Apr;19(4):15. doi: 10.1007/s11908-017-0570-0.
Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is a laboratory method that has emerged as a promising tool for epidemiologic investigations.
Genomic epidemiology approaches have been utilized in outbreak settings, community settings, within acute care hospitals, and across healthcare facilities to better understand transmission and spread of potential pathogens. These studies have highlighted how essential robust epidemiologic data is in these analyses as well as how results can be translated into clinical practice and infection control and prevention. Existing studies have highlighted both the promise and challenges of using WGS as an epidemiologic tool in a community and healthcare setting and across a region. Costs for performing and interpreting WGS analyses are decreasing, and availability of and experience with WGS analyses in healthcare epidemiology are increasing. With these favorable trends, this laboratory method soon could emerge as the gold standard for epidemiologic evaluations.
全基因组测序（WGS）是一种已成为流行病学调查有前景工具的实验室方法。
基因组流行病学方法已用于疫情暴发环境、社区环境、急性护理医院内部以及跨医疗保健机构，以更好地了解潜在病原体的传播和扩散。这些研究突出了稳健的流行病学数据在这些分析中的重要性，以及结果如何转化为临床实践和感染控制与预防。现有研究既强调了在社区和医疗保健环境以及跨地区将WGS用作流行病学工具的前景，也指出了挑战。进行和解释WGS分析的成本正在下降，医疗保健流行病学中WGS分析的可用性和经验正在增加。随着这些有利趋势，这种实验室方法很快可能成为流行病学评估的金标准。
