scholarly journals Wastewater-Based Epidemiology and Whole-Genome Sequencing for Community-Level Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Selected Urban Communities of Davao City, Philippines: A Pilot Study

Author(s):  
Maria Catherine Bernolo Otero ◽  
Lyre Anni E. Murao ◽  
Mary Antoinette G. Limen ◽  
Paul Lorenzo A. Gaite ◽  
Michael G. Bacus ◽  
...  

Background: Over 50 countries have used Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for SARS-CoV-2 for monitoring COVID-19 cases. COVID-19 surveillance in the Philippines relies on clinical monitoring and contact tracing, with both having limited use in early detection or prediction of community outbreaks. Complementary public health surveillance methods that can provide community-level infection data faster and using lesser resources must be explored. Objectives: This study piloted and assessed WBE and WGS as approaches for COVID-19 surveillance in low-resource and low-sanitation communities in Davao City, Philippines. Methods: Weekly wastewater samples were collected from six barangay community sewer pipes or creeks from November to December 2020. Samples were concentrated using a PEG-NaCl precipitation method and analyzed by RT-PCR to detect the SARS-CoV-2 N, RdRP, and E genes. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive samples were subjected to WGS for genomic mutation surveillance. Public data from clinical surveillance were also reviewed to interpret WBE data. Results: Twenty-two of the 24 samples (91.7%) obtained from the six barangays tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The cycle threshold (Ct) values were correlated with RNA concentration and attack rate. Thirty-two SARS-CoV-2 mutations were detected in WGS, including novel non-synonymous mutations or indels in seven SARS-CoV-2 genes and ten mutations previously reported in the Philippines. Discussion: SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in community wastewater from the six barangays of Davao City, even when the barangays were classified as having a low risk of COVID-19 transmission and no new cases were reported. Despite the fragmented genome sequences analyzed, our genomic surveillance in wastewater confirmed the presence of previously reported mutations while identifying mutations not yet registered in clinical surveillance. The local context of a community must be considered when planning to adopt WBE and WGS as complementary COVID-19 surveillance methodologies, especially in low-sanitation and low-resource settings. Keywords: COVID-19, Philippines, SARS-CoV-2, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology, Whole Genome Sequencing.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Argimón ◽  
Melissa A. L. Masim ◽  
June M. Gayeta ◽  
Marietta L. Lagrada ◽  
Polle K. V. Macaranas ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Zainal Arifin Mustapha ◽  
Jaeyres Jani ◽  
Cheronie Shely Stanis ◽  
Dg Syahidah Nadiah Abdull Majid ◽  
Chin Kai Ling ◽  
...  

This paper reports on the whole-genome sequencing of a streptomycin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain that was isolated from a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis in Sabah state of Malaysian Borneo. The strain belongs to the EAI2-Manila family of lineage 1 and is clustered with M. tuberculosis strains from the Philippines, India, and Taiwan.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah W. Roberts ◽  
Brian M. Forde ◽  
Andrew Henderson ◽  
E. Geoffrey Playford ◽  
Naomi Runnegar ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundOXA-48-like carbapenemases have become increasingly prevalent in healthcare settings worldwide. Their low-level activity against carbapenems makes them difficult to identify, causing problems for infection control. Here we present an outbreak of Escherichia coli producing OXA-181 (part of the OXA-48 family of carbapenemases) in a Queensland Hospital, and describe how we used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify the outbreak strain, determine the extent of transmission within the hospital and support infection control responses.Methods116 isolates were collected and sequenced on an Illumina NextSeq to determine species, sequence type (ST) and presence of resistance genes. Core single nucleotide polymorphisms were used to determine strain relatedness. Three isolates were also sequenced on an Oxford Nanopore MinION to determine the context of the resistance genes.ResultsOf 116 isolates, 85 (84 E. coli and one K. pneumoniae) from 78 patients (and two environmental sources) were related to the ongoing outbreak. The outbreak E. coli strain was found to be ST38 and carried blaOXA-181, blaCTX-M-15 and qnrS1 genes. Long read sequencing revealed blaOXA-181 to be carried on an IncX3 plasmid with qnrS1. blaCTX-M-15 was chromosomally integrated (via ISEcp1 insertion) in close proximity to a second qnrS1 gene. A search of the laboratory database identified an isolate with an identical unusual antibiogram from a patient recently admitted to a hospital in Vietnam, suggesting that the strain was introduced to the hospital. This conclusion was supported by WGS, as comparison of the strain to public data identified a close match to an E. coli recovered from Vietnam in 2011.ConclusionA blaOXA-181-carrying E. coli ST38 strain was introduced to a Brisbane hospital and spread undetected throughout multiple wards over several months. Using WGS, we characterized the outbreak strain and unambiguously detected its presence throughout the hospital. We show how both WGS and infection control measures can be utilized to effectively terminate widespread transmission of an elusory pathogen.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zarina Mohd Zawawi ◽  
Jeyanthi Suppiah ◽  
Jeevanathan Kalyanasundram ◽  
Muhammad Afif Azizan ◽  
Shuhaila Mat-Sharani ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Since December 2019, the outbreak of COVID-19 has raised a great public health concern globally. Here, we report the whole genome sequencing analysis of SARS-CoV-2 strains in Malaysia isolated from six patients diagnosed with COVID-19.Methods: The SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA extracted from clinical specimens and isolates were subjected to whole genome sequencing using NextSeq 500 platform. The sequencing data were assembled to full genome sequences using Megahit and phylogenetic tree was constructed using Mega X software.Results: Six full genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 comprising of strains from 1st wave (25th January 2020) and 2nd wave (27th February 2020) infection were obtained. Downstream analysis demonstrated diversity among the Malaysian strains with several synonymous and non-synonymous mutations in four of the six cases, affecting the genes M, orf1ab, and S of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The phylogenetic analysis revealed viral genome sequences of Malaysian SARS-CoV-2 strains clustered under the ancestral Type B.Conclusion: This study comprehended the SARS-CoV-2 virus evolution during its circulation in Malaysia. Continuous monitoring and analysis of the whole genome sequences of confirmed cases would be crucial to further understand the genetic evolution of the virus.


Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Ledger ◽  
Jason Eidt ◽  
Hugh Y. Cai

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Mycoplasma bovis has been previously associated with topoisomerase and ribosomal gene mutations rather than specific resistance-conferring genes. Using whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify potential new AMR mechanisms for M. bovis, it was found that a 2019 clinical isolate with high MIC (2019-043682) for fluoroquinolones, macrolides, lincosamides, pleuromutilins and tetracyclines had a new core genome multilocus sequencing (cgMLST) type (ST10-like) and 91% sequence similarity to the published genome of M. bovis PG45. Closely related to PG45, a 1982 isolate (1982-M6152) shared the same cgMLST type (ST17), 97.2% sequence similarity and low MIC results. Known and potential AMR- associated genetic events were identified through multiple sequence alignment of the three genomes. Isolate 2019-043682 had 507 genes with non-synonymous mutations (NSMs) and 67 genes disrupted. Isolate 1982-M6152 had 81 NSMs and 20 disruptions. Using functional roles and known mechanisms of antimicrobials, a 55 gene subset was assessed for AMR potential. Seventeen were previously identified from other bacteria as sites of AMR mutation, 38 shared similar functions to them, and 11 contained gene-disrupting mutations. This study indicated that M. bovis may obtain high AMR characteristics by mutating or disrupting other functional genes, in addition to topoisomerases and ribosomal genes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. e002244
Author(s):  

The global spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and lack of novel alternative treatments have been declared a global public health emergency by WHO. The greatest impact of AMR is experienced in resource-poor settings, because of lack of access to alternative antibiotics and because the prevalence of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains may be higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). Intelligent surveillance of AMR infections is key to informed policy decisions and public health interventions to counter AMR. Molecular surveillance using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) can be a valuable addition to phenotypic surveillance of AMR. WGS provides insights into the genetic basis of resistance mechanisms, as well as pathogen evolution and population dynamics at different spatial and temporal scales. Due to its high cost and complexity, WGS is currently mainly carried out in high-income countries. However, given its potential to inform national and international action plans against AMR, establishing WGS as a surveillance tool in LMICs will be important in order to produce a truly global picture. Here, we describe a roadmap for incorporating WGS into existing AMR surveillance frameworks, including WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System, informed by our ongoing, practical experiences developing WGS surveillance systems in national reference laboratories in Colombia, India, Nigeria and the Philippines. Challenges and barriers to WGS in LMICs will be discussed together with a roadmap to possible solutions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Ledger ◽  
Jason Eidt ◽  
Hugh Y. Cai

AbstractAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Mycoplasma bovis has previously been associated with mutations within topoisomerases and ribosomal genes rather than specific resistance-conferring genes. This study used whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify potential new AMR mechanisms. It was found that a 2019 clinical isolate with high MIC (2019-043682) had a new core genome multilocus sequencing (cgMLST) type (ST10-like) and 91% homology with the published genome of M. bovis PG45. Closely related to PG45, a 1982 isolate (1982-M6152) shared the same cgMLST type (ST17), 97.2% homology and similar low MIC results. Known and potential AMR-associated genetic events were identified through comparison with the published M. bovis PG45 genome. Isolate 2019-043682 had 507 genes with non-synonymous mutations (NSMs) and 67 genes disrupted. Isolate 1982-M6152 had 81 NSMs and 20 disruptions. Based on functional roles and known mechanisms of antimicrobials, a 55 gene subset was assessed for potential AMR mechanisms. Of these, 14 were previously identified from other bacteria as sites of AMR mutation, 41 shared similar functions to them, and 11 contained gene-disrupting mutations. This study indicated that M. bovis may obtain high AMR characteristics by mutating or disrupting other functional genes, in addition to topoisomerases and ribosomal genes.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan A. Wee ◽  
Anna S. Tai ◽  
Laura J. Sherrard ◽  
Nouri L. Ben Zakour ◽  
Kirt R. Hanks ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundChronic lung infections byPseudomonas aeruginosaare a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in people with cystic fibrosis (CF). SharedP. aeruginosastrains, that can be transmitted between patients, are of concern and in Australia the AUST-02 shared strain is predominant in individuals attending CF centres in Queensland and Western Australia. M3L7 is a multidrug resistant sub-type of AUST-02 that was recently identified in a Queensland CF centre and was shown to be associated with poorer clinical outcomes. The main aim of this study was to resolve the relationship of the emergent M3L7 sub-type within the AUST-02 group of strains using whole genome sequencing.ResultsA whole-genome core phylogeny of 63 isolates indicated that M3L7 is a monophyletic sub-lineage within the context of the broader AUST-02 group. Relatively short branch lengths connected all of the M3L7 isolates. A phylogeny based on nucleotide polymorphisms present across the genome showed that the chronological estimation of the most recent common ancestor was around 2001 (± 3 years). SNP differences between sequential M3L7 isolates collected 3-4 years apart from five patients suggested both continuous infection of the same strain and cross-infection of some M3L7 variants between patients. The majority of polymorphisms that were characteristic of M3L7 (i.e. acquired after divergence from all other AUST-02 isolates sequenced) were found to produce non-synonymous mutations in virulence and antibiotic resistance genes.ConclusionsM3L7 has recently diverged from a common ancestor indicating descent from a single carrier at a CF treatment centre in Australia. Both adaptation to the lung and transmission of M3L7 between adults attending this centre may have contributed to its rapid dissemination. The study emphasises the importance of clinical management in controlling the emergence of shared strains in CF.


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