The NGD Pipeline performs SNP-level (not simply allele-level) comparison of the core genomes of all samples, as well as a de novo assembly-based comparison of closely related isolates, to provide the best obtainable identification of transmission events between the most recently sequenced samples and all that have preceded them since the inception of the NGD service.
CASe studies of the impact on hospital outbreak prevention
Our case studies tab provides real examples of how SNP-level relatedness comparison of consecutively sampled isolates has resulted in both detection of an outbreak that enabled its termination, and equally valuable, the determination that a set of MRSA cases that had been suspected of outbreak based upon similarity of antibiogam were not in fact related, allowing a massive but unneeded outbreak prevention protocol to be stood-down.
“Next Gen Diagnostics’ system has been at work at Addenbrooke’s only since March 2018, and has already helped both catch and curtail outbreaks, as well as enabled us to recognize that a set of samples we thought to be related was in fact not, saving enormous effort and sparing patients needless concern. We believe this is the future of infection control.”