title: Pathogen genome bioinformatics.
abstract: Recent advances in DNA sequencing technology have made the whole-genome sequencing of pathogens in a clinically relevant turn-around time both technically and economically feasible. The DNA sequencing of pathogens with epidemic potential offers new and exciting opportunities for high-resolution public health surveillance. This chapter outlines major methods and bioinformatics tools for pathogen genome characterization, the identification of infectious disease clusters, as well as for genomics-guided biosurveillance. Existing challenges are also considered.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology - Public Health Pathology West ICPMR, Westmead Hospital C24, Hawkesbury Road and Darcy Road, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia, Vitali.Sintchenko@swahs.health.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Vitali
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sintchenko
authors.forename: Michael P V
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Roper
mesh_terms: D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D016678:Genome; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans