Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD) and Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks

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Advanced molecular detection (AMD) integrates the latest next-generation genomic sequencing technologies with bioinformatics and epidemiology expertise across CDC and the nation to help us find, track, and stop disease-causing pathogens faster than ever before.

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Whole-genome Sequencing and the Race Against Antibiotic Resistance

Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2020

The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), a public health surveillance system, tracks antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause gastrointestinal and foodborne illness. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS), a new technology, has made this task easier. WGS lets scientists rapidly predict whether bacteria are resistant to antibiotics based on genetic information. In 2018, this information helped make the important distinction between two outbreaks occurring at the same time so public health officials could respond to each more effectively.

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Page last reviewed: January 14, 2020
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention