141st APHA Annual Meeting

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285011
Infectious disease surveillance and outbreak detection: Bioinformatic challenges

Monday, November 4, 2013 :

Duncan MacCannell, Ph.D. , National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Over the course of recent decades, rapid advancements in molecular diagnostic technologies have revolutionized the practice of public health microbiology. The application of these laboratory technologies to the study of infectious diseases has fundamentally changed the nature, accuracy, and timeliness of laboratory data available for outbreak investigation and response. Whole genome sequencing and comparative pathogen genomics, in particular, are increasingly feasible for near-realtime high-resolution strain typing and characterization, and may allow for more rapid and accurate definition of outbreak clusters, and a more detailed understanding of chains of infection and attribution. However, the tremendous volume and complexity of the data that are generated by these approaches generates new challenges that requires parallel investments in high-performance computing, storage, and specialized staffing, with careful consideration of how these data will be organized, integrated, accessed and shared. This session will discuss the opportunities and challenges of incorportating these data-intensive technologies into laboratory practice, and the emerging role of bioinformatics in public health.

Learning Areas:
Basic medical science applied in public health
Communication and informatics
Epidemiology
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the impact of pathogen genomics on public health microbiology. Explain the importance of bioinformatics in the analysis, interpretation and integration of high-throughput laboratory data.

Keywords: Infectious Diseases, Challenges and Opportunities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am responsible for the coordination of bioinformatics and pathogen genomics activities across CDC's Office of Infectious Diseases, including surveillance and outbreak response.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.