Next Gen Diagnostics and Vanderbilt Report the Use of Whole Genome Sequencing to Detect Transmission of Infection in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Next Gen Diagnostics (NGD) and a team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) today announced the results of a study reporting that comparison of the whole genome sequence (WGS) of bacterial pathogens obtained from surveillance of infants in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) revealed substantial transmission of infection not detected by conventional infection control procedures. The findings demonstrate that even in highly resourced medical centers and in wards like the NICU with high levels of constant vigilance, WGS enables the detection of transmission not achievable with methods in current practice. The abstract reporting the results of the study will be presented for publication at the American Society for Microbiology Conference in Atlanta on June 15.