DNA sequencing ‘could revolutionise public health outbreak tracking’

Scientists from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control in Vancouver have discovered that DNA sequencing could be the key to "solving" outbreaks of diseases such as tuberculosis.

The Canadian team used whole-genome sequencing to analyse the bacterial DNA in samples from 36 of 41 infected individuals in a recent tuberculosis outbreak, allowing them to track the pathogen's movement with unparalleled precision.

Researchers were able to determine its movement through the community, including where it started and who spread the disease to whom, meaning they could deduce that a rise in crack cocaine usage in the area may have triggered the outbreak.

Lead researcher Dr Jennifer Gardy said: "We can see where outbreaks start and how they spread. This level of insight has never been seen before and it promises to change the way we do public heath outbreak investigations."

Tuberculosis remains a major public health risk, with 9.4 million new cases of the disease being diagnosed in 2009, while the number of fatalities came to 1.7 million.