FDA Studies Effectiveness of Whole-Genome Sequencing Program
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a study on the impact of the GenomeTrackr Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) Network. FDA uses this tool to detect, investigate, and limit the spread of foodborne outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated foods. Now in its second year of implementation, FDA estimates that the program was likely cost-effective. The program generates $100 million to $450 million in net annual health benefits at its current funding levels.
The results of the study imply that for each additional 1,000 WGS isolate sequences added to the database for any given pathogen, there is a decrease of approximately six illnesses per year associated with that pathogen. As the WGS database grows, the program helped decrease foodborne illness in the U.S. a year after its launch, and the effect of the program on human health shows improvements over time.