In recent times, the United States has had an alarmingly high number of foodborne and hospital-acquired infections. In a bid to curb these, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health, Alexander Sundermann, advocates for the enhancement of the country’s genomic surveillance infrastructure. Using the PulseNet system as an example, Sundermann emphasizes its efficacy in tracking foodborne illnesses.
By systematically gathering data from patients all over the country, the system actively identifies the genomic fingerprint of the infections, and traces the source of the outbreaks. Despite not being able to prevent these outbreaks, PulseNet proves instrumental in containing them before they spin out of control. Sundermann points out how the seeming spike in foodborne outbreaks is partly due to PulseNet’s use of more sophisticated tools for detecting them.
Dreadfully, the healthcare system has been equally affected by outbreaks. An instance is the 2023 outbreak of a highly drug-resistant bacteria, which was traced back to a contaminated eye drop product distributed nationwide. This led to at least 81 reported cases and four reported fatalities. Several states’ investigators recognized a new pattern of drug resistance, hitherto unseen in the US, and managed to trace its origin back to the common eye drop product through genomic sequencing. Surprisingly, unlike the procedure for foodborne illnesses, healthcare-related bacterial infections do not have the same mandatory requirements for reporting and monitoring.
Sadly, most hospital outbreaks go undetected, not due to negligence, but the complexity and challenge of identifying the countless resulting infections. Sundermann suggests the development of a hospital-specific genomic surveillance system, modeled after PulseNet, could mitigate these problems. A likely approach could involve individual healthcare facilities implementing their system for conducting genomic surveillance, and subsequently sharing the relevant data with CDC and public health agencies. Despite the need for a sizeable investment, this setup’s potential benefits regarding patient safety and cost savings cannot be over-emphasized.
Making such a system a reality would not be without its challenges. It would necessitate massive investments in infrastructure and analytics. This is because, unlike foodborne outbreaks primarily traceable through the food supply chain, hospital-related infections can emanate from a vast range of sources, including medical devices, procedures, and the very environment of the hospital infrastructure. Standardized data reporting from the numerous healthcare facilities within the nation, massive genomic sequencing capabilities, as well as public health agencies and hospitals’ cooperation would be much needed.
Moreover, it would require a strategic change of mentality towards achieving proactive transparency while implementing strong regulatory mandates. Though not without its challenges, the reality and potential advantages of such a system outweigh its cost. We must all prioritize public health and take the necessary steps to protect patients and the overall healthcare system.
Source: https://www.statnews.com/2024/12/06/pulsenet-health-care-foodborne-illness-eye-drops-endoscopes/