Responding to Disease Outbreaks (Research)

Whole-genome sequencing may help food safety officials to respond faster and more accurately

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Problem

How can researchers and public health ofﬁcials respond more quickly to foodborne illness outbreaks?

Approximately two to three million people in the United States are infected each year by Salmonella, a diarrheal disease typically acquired through food.

Findings

Researchers used whole-genome sequencing to identify signatures in the genomes in order to rapidly match strains from humans and food. This method also identiﬁed mechanisms by which Salmonella isolates in Pennsylvania are increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Data from Penn State and other labs are stored on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's GenomeTrakr to allow real-time comparison and analysis to speed up foodborne illness outbreak investigations and reduce consequent illnesses and deaths.

Impact

Comparing and classifying Salmonella samples during an outbreak could give health ofﬁcials the ability to identify possible sources of the disease and more accurately monitor its progress and provide warnings, thus helping to reduce further incidences.

Demonstrating that Salmonella isolates from food are genetic matches to those from ill patients is a critical ﬁrst step to understanding how a foodborne outbreak occurred.
This work is assisting the Pennsylvania Department of Health as they increasingly use whole-genome sequencing in their routine workﬂow.

Research Area: Integrated Health Solutions

Research Credit

Team

Edward Dudley, Andrea Eyler (Keefer), Hillary Mosso (Figler), Lingzi Xiaoli, Nkuchia M'ikanatha

Participating Departments

Food Science

Partners

Pennsylvania Department of Health, Penn State Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Penn State E. coli Reference Center, Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences

Competitive Funding

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Federal and State Appropriations

USDA NIFA Hatch Project PEN04644, Accession #1015714

Emerging Discoveries

Whole genome sequencing may help officials get a handle on disease outbreaks

August 06, 2019

In a series of studies, researchers showed that whole genome analysis can provide highly detailed information on pathogens in a timely fashion. The findings could help public officials prepare treatment and prevention options when disease outbreaks threaten the public.

Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella strains not seen in migrating wild birds

March 22, 2022

Although many wild birds carry Salmonella, the strains of the bacteria they convey usually do not harbor antimicrobial-resistance genes, according to Penn State researchers, who led a team conducting a new, nationwide study.