A multi-hospital, clinician-initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe Staphylococcus aureus infections

Abstract Bacterial genomics is increasingly used for infectious diseases surveillance, outbreak detection and prediction of antibiotic resistance. With expanding availability of rapid whole-genome sequencing, bacterial genomics data could become a valuable tool for clinicians managing bacterial infe...

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Main Authors: Stefano G. Giulieri, Marcel Leroi, Diane Daniel, Roy Chean, Katherine Bond, Harry Walker, Natasha E. Holmes, Nomvuyo Mothobi, Adrian Alexander, Adam Jenney, Carolyn Beckett, Andrew Mahony, Kerrie Stevens, Norelle L. Sherry, Benjamin P. Howden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60045-4
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author Stefano G. Giulieri
Marcel Leroi
Diane Daniel
Roy Chean
Katherine Bond
Harry Walker
Natasha E. Holmes
Nomvuyo Mothobi
Adrian Alexander
Adam Jenney
Carolyn Beckett
Andrew Mahony
Kerrie Stevens
Norelle L. Sherry
Benjamin P. Howden
author_facet Stefano G. Giulieri
Marcel Leroi
Diane Daniel
Roy Chean
Katherine Bond
Harry Walker
Natasha E. Holmes
Nomvuyo Mothobi
Adrian Alexander
Adam Jenney
Carolyn Beckett
Andrew Mahony
Kerrie Stevens
Norelle L. Sherry
Benjamin P. Howden
author_sort Stefano G. Giulieri
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Bacterial genomics is increasingly used for infectious diseases surveillance, outbreak detection and prediction of antibiotic resistance. With expanding availability of rapid whole-genome sequencing, bacterial genomics data could become a valuable tool for clinicians managing bacterial infections, driving precision medicine strategies. Here, we present a clinician-driven bacterial genomics framework that applies within-patient evolutionary analysis to identify in real-time microbial genetic changes that have an impact on treatment outcomes of severe Staphylococcus aureus infections, a strategy that is increasingly used in cancer genomics. Our approach uses a combination of bacterial genomics and antibiotic susceptibility testing to identify and track bacterial adaptive mutations that underlie microbiologically documented treatment failure (i.e. ongoing positive cultures [persistent infection] or new positive cultures after initial response [recurrent infection]). We show the potential added value of our approach to clinicians and propose a roadmap for the use of bacterial genomics to advance the management of severe bacterial infections.
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issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
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series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-838963145a9044cc997af01a2e149ca12025-08-20T03:22:12ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-05-011611910.1038/s41467-025-60045-4A multi-hospital, clinician-initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe Staphylococcus aureus infectionsStefano G. Giulieri0Marcel Leroi1Diane Daniel2Roy Chean3Katherine Bond4Harry Walker5Natasha E. Holmes6Nomvuyo Mothobi7Adrian Alexander8Adam Jenney9Carolyn Beckett10Andrew Mahony11Kerrie Stevens12Norelle L. Sherry13Benjamin P. Howden14Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Austin HealthDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDepartment of Microbiology, Eastern HealthDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDorevitch PathologyDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Austin HealthDepartment of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital GeelongDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred HospitalDepartment of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred HospitalEpworth HealthCareDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Austin HealthMicrobiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityDepartment of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and ImmunityAbstract Bacterial genomics is increasingly used for infectious diseases surveillance, outbreak detection and prediction of antibiotic resistance. With expanding availability of rapid whole-genome sequencing, bacterial genomics data could become a valuable tool for clinicians managing bacterial infections, driving precision medicine strategies. Here, we present a clinician-driven bacterial genomics framework that applies within-patient evolutionary analysis to identify in real-time microbial genetic changes that have an impact on treatment outcomes of severe Staphylococcus aureus infections, a strategy that is increasingly used in cancer genomics. Our approach uses a combination of bacterial genomics and antibiotic susceptibility testing to identify and track bacterial adaptive mutations that underlie microbiologically documented treatment failure (i.e. ongoing positive cultures [persistent infection] or new positive cultures after initial response [recurrent infection]). We show the potential added value of our approach to clinicians and propose a roadmap for the use of bacterial genomics to advance the management of severe bacterial infections.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60045-4
spellingShingle Stefano G. Giulieri
Marcel Leroi
Diane Daniel
Roy Chean
Katherine Bond
Harry Walker
Natasha E. Holmes
Nomvuyo Mothobi
Adrian Alexander
Adam Jenney
Carolyn Beckett
Andrew Mahony
Kerrie Stevens
Norelle L. Sherry
Benjamin P. Howden
A multi-hospital, clinician-initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe Staphylococcus aureus infections
Nature Communications
title A multi-hospital, clinician-initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe Staphylococcus aureus infections
title_full A multi-hospital, clinician-initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe Staphylococcus aureus infections
title_fullStr A multi-hospital, clinician-initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe Staphylococcus aureus infections
title_full_unstemmed A multi-hospital, clinician-initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe Staphylococcus aureus infections
title_short A multi-hospital, clinician-initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe Staphylococcus aureus infections
title_sort multi hospital clinician initiated bacterial genomics programme to investigate treatment failure in severe staphylococcus aureus infections
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60045-4
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