Molecular epidemiology tools in the management of healthcare-associated infections: towards the definition of recommendations.
BACKGROUND
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and have a significant economic impact for health systems. Molecular epidemiology tools have a central role in HAI prevention programs. In order to give an overview of their specific advantages and disadvantages we reported current and new molecular typing methods for HAI outbreak detection and epidemiological surveillance.


METHODS
The current review was drafted as a short version of a longer document written by the Public Health Genomics (GSP) working group, and the Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene (GISIO), entitled Molecular epidemiology of Healthcare Associated Infections: recommendations from the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI). This text considers various aspects related to HAIs: the role of genotyping and bioinformatics, the organizational levels of laboratories, as well as ethical and economic aspects.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of molecular epidemiology represents a key tool in the management of HAIs, to be used as a complement to conventional control measures. The present contribution aims to increase knowledge on the proper use of such methods, given the major challenge HAI represents for National Health systems.
Sez. Igiene, Istituto di sanità pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy. sboccia@rm.unicatt.it.|Coordinator of the Public Health Genomics WG.
Stefania
S
Boccia
Dip. Scienze biomediche, biotecnologiche e traslazionali, Università di Parma, Italy.|Coordinator of the GISIO WG.
Cesira
C
Pasquarella
Sez. Igiene, Istituto di sanità pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy.
Marco
M
Colotto
Dip. Scienze mediche, chirurgiche e tecnologie avanzate "G.F. Ingrassia", Università di Catania, Italy.
Martina
M
Barchitta
Dip. Scienze mediche, chirurgiche e tecnologie avanzate "G.F. Ingrassia", Università di Catania, Italy.
Annalisa
A
Quattrocchi
Dip. Scienze mediche, chirurgiche e tecnologie avanzate "G.F. Ingrassia", Università di Catania, Italy.
Antonella
A
Agodi
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D019295:Computational Biology; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000941:ethics / Q000379:methods; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology / Q000379:methods*; D061214:Patient Safety; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence