Journal article
High-performance enrichment-based genome sequencing to support the investigation of hepatitis A virus outbreaks
Sara E Zufan, Karolina Mercoulia, Jason C Kwong, Louise M Judd, Benjamin P Howden, Torsten Seemann, Timothy P Stinear
Microbiology Spectrum | American Society for Microbiology | Published : 2024
Abstract
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections are an increasing public health concern in low-endemicity regions due to outbreaks from food-borne infections and sustained transmission among vulnerable groups, including persons experiencing homelessness, those who inject drugs, and men who have sex with men, which is further compounded by aging, unvaccinated populations. DNA sequence characterization of HAV for source tracking is performed by comparing small subgenomic regions of the virus. While this approach has been successful when robust epidemiological data are available, poor genetic resolution can lead to the conflation of outbreaks with sporadic cases. HAV outbreak investigations would greatly be..
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Awarded by DHAC | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia Partnership Grant
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia Partnership Grant (GNT1149991), and the Australian Government Medical Research Future Fund, Genomics Health Futures Mission Flagships-Pathogen Genomics Grant (FSPGN000045). S.E.Z. is supported by a Melbourne Research Scholarship from the University of Melbourne.