Items Tagged with 'whole genome sequencing'

Initially launched in 2024, the investigation was reopened in April 2025. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis confirmed that the strain of Listeria found at Fresh & Ready Foods LLC matches the strain of Listeria causing illnesses in this outbreak.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak to Dr. Edward Dudley, Director of the E. coli Reference Center and Professor of Food Science at Penn State University, about the potential for wastewater monitoring to aid foodborne pathogen surveillance and bolster foodborne illness reporting. 

The European Commission published a FAQ document to clarify the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2025/179, which mandates whole genome sequencing (WGS) testing and data reporting for important foodborne pathogens when suspected to be associated with a foodborne illness outbreak.

The EU has adopted a new regulation requiring Member States to conduct whole genome sequencing (WGS) on the isolates of five important pathogens during the investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks, and sets data-sharing parameters.

Published in CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases, one of the largest-ever whole genome sequencing (WGS) analyses of Campylobacter in Africa found antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in 75 percent of human and poultry isolates from Tanzania and Kenya.

Penn State University researchers have demonstrated the usefulness of wastewater monitoring for foodborne pathogen surveillance, after successfully isolating Salmonella from wastewater samples and linking them to clinical isolates from an existing foodborne illness outbreak.

A recent survey of raw flour and flour-based foods conducted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found a low incidence of Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) among sampled products. Whole genome sequencing revealed a link between a Salmonella isolate from a sample and a human illness.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is accepting applications for participation in an upcoming global meeting on whole genome sequencing (WGS) for food safety and water surveillance within the One Health framework.

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and hyperspectral imaging are proposed in a One Health context to be applied to biosurveillance.

With a focus on fresh-cut produce in the U.S./North America, this article explores critical questions related to the improvement and modernization of the microbial outbreak investigation process.