Development of a Swiss Surveillance Database for Molecular Epidemiology of Hypervirulent and Multi-drug Resistant Pathogens
Development of a Swiss Surveillance Database for Molecular Epidemiology of Hypervirulent and Multi-drug Resistant Pathogens
Hypervirulent and multidrug-resistant infections are associated with significant health care
 costs, substantial morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the rapid recognition of outbreaks and
 transmissions with hypervirulent and multi-drug resistant pathogen is a key priority for
 infection control and public health.The main goal is to implement a shared database,
 connecting human and veterinary microbiology laboratories, which would allow near real-time
 molecular epidemiology with high spatiotemporal resolution of bacterial pathogens such as
 transmission and outbreak surveillance between different compartments including humans,
 animals and the environment in Switzerland. Investigator aims to analyze already collected
 encoded retrospective datasets of various pathogens by combining epidemiological data and
 whole genome sequences from pathogens.
Hypervirulent and multidrug-resistant infections are associated with significant health care
 costs, substantial morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the rapid recognition of outbreaks and
 transmissions with hypervirulent and multi-drug resistant pathogen is a key priority for
 infection control and public health. For hospital epidemiologist, infectious disease and
 public health experts, and microbiologists the identification of an outbreak source is a
 first important step to establish effective counter-measurements. In Switzerland, the burden
 of pathogen transmission between humans, animals and the environment is substantial. The main
 goal is to implement a shared database, connecting human and veterinary microbiology
 laboratories, which would allow near real-time molecular epidemiology with high
 spatiotemporal resolution of bacterial pathogens such as transmission and outbreak
 surveillance between different compartments including humans, animals and the environment in
 Switzerland. Investigator aims to analyze already collected encoded retrospective datasets of
 various pathogens by combining epidemiological data and whole genome sequences from
 pathogens.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  All patients with either colonisations or infections with either a bacterial or a
 viral pathogen, where whole genome sequencing data and available minimal
 epidemiological, demographic and clinical data

 -  Pathogens included into analysis are: Multidrug-resistant bacteria include:
 methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Carbapenemase- and/or extended
 spectrum betalactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and non-fermenting bacteria
 including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii, Vancomycin resistant
 Enterococcus faecium, and others; virulent bacteria include: Neisseria meningitidis,
 Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella
 spp., Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes, and Streptococcus pneumoniae,
 and others; Viruses include: Influenza viruses, Measles virus, Enterovirus E68,
 Respiratory Syncytial Virus and others.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Decline to sign a general consent or any other declining statement against using data
 for research purposes.