TY - JOUR
T1 - Whole genome sequencing data used for surveillance of Campylobacter infections
T2 - detection of a large continuous outbreak, Denmark, 2019
AU - Joensen, Katrine Grimstrup
AU - Schjørring, Susanne
AU - Gantzhorn, Mette Rørbæk
AU - Vester, Camilla Thougaard
AU - Nielsen, Hans Linde
AU - Engberg, Jørgen Harald
AU - Holt, Hanne Marie
AU - Ethelberg, Steen
AU - Müller, Luise
AU - Sandø, Gudrun
AU - Nielsen, Eva Møller
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - BackgroundCampylobacter is one of the most frequent causes of bacterial gastroenteritis. Campylobacter outbreaks are rarely reported, which could be a reflection of a surveillance without routine molecular typing. We have previously shown that numerous small outbreak-like clusters can be detected when whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of clinical Campylobacter isolates was applied.AimTyping-based surveillance of Campylobacter infections was initiated in 2019 to enable detection of large clusters of clinical isolates and to match them to concurrent retail chicken isolates in order to react on ongoing outbreaks.MethodsWe performed WGS continuously on isolates from cases (n = 701) and chicken meat (n = 164) throughout 2019. Core genome multilocus sequence typing was used to detect clusters of clinical isolates and match them to isolates from chicken meat.ResultsSeventy-two clusters were detected, 58 small clusters (2-4 cases) and 14 large clusters (5-91 cases). One third of the clinical isolates matched isolates from chicken meat. One large cluster persisted throughout the whole year and represented 12% of all studied Campylobacter cases. This cluster type was detected in several chicken samples and was traced back to one slaughterhouse, where interventions were implemented to control the outbreak.ConclusionOur WGS-based surveillance has contributed to an improved understanding of the dynamics of the occurrence of Campylobacter strains in chicken meat and the correlation to clusters of human cases.
AB - BackgroundCampylobacter is one of the most frequent causes of bacterial gastroenteritis. Campylobacter outbreaks are rarely reported, which could be a reflection of a surveillance without routine molecular typing. We have previously shown that numerous small outbreak-like clusters can be detected when whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of clinical Campylobacter isolates was applied.AimTyping-based surveillance of Campylobacter infections was initiated in 2019 to enable detection of large clusters of clinical isolates and to match them to concurrent retail chicken isolates in order to react on ongoing outbreaks.MethodsWe performed WGS continuously on isolates from cases (n = 701) and chicken meat (n = 164) throughout 2019. Core genome multilocus sequence typing was used to detect clusters of clinical isolates and match them to isolates from chicken meat.ResultsSeventy-two clusters were detected, 58 small clusters (2-4 cases) and 14 large clusters (5-91 cases). One third of the clinical isolates matched isolates from chicken meat. One large cluster persisted throughout the whole year and represented 12% of all studied Campylobacter cases. This cluster type was detected in several chicken samples and was traced back to one slaughterhouse, where interventions were implemented to control the outbreak.ConclusionOur WGS-based surveillance has contributed to an improved understanding of the dynamics of the occurrence of Campylobacter strains in chicken meat and the correlation to clusters of human cases.
KW - Campylobacter
KW - one health
KW - outbreak
KW - surveillance
KW - whole genome sequencing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107614963&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.22.2001396
DO - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2021.26.22.2001396
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1025-496X
VL - 26
JO - Eurosurveillance (Online Edition)
JF - Eurosurveillance (Online Edition)
IS - 22
M1 - 2001396
ER -