Summary
The new approach uses samples from infected humans to allow real-time monitoring of pathogens circulating in human populations. It uses genetic sequencing data to provide information on the genetic changes underlying the emergence of new variants.
Researchers used their new technique to analyse samples of Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria that causes whooping cough. It immediately identified three new variants circulating in the population that had been previously undetected.
Genetic changes allow pathogens to evade our immune system and cause disease. Researchers say this work is an important piece in the larger jigsaw of any public health response.
The research was primarily funded by the European Research Council. The study was published in the journal The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. For more information, visit the journal's website.
