Identifying transmission in a hospital outbreak investigation using whole-genome sequencing and SNP phylogenetic analysis.

poses a global public health challenge, causing multiple outbreaks within healthcare facilities. Despite advancements in strain typing for various infectious diseases, a consensus on the genetic relatedness threshold for identifying transmission in local hospital outbreaks remains elusive. We investigated genetic variations within our local isolate collection using whole-genome-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) phylogenetic analysis.

Development of a workflow for the detection of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis from rectal swabs using the spectra VRE medium.

Background: Spectra™ VRE agar (Remel, Lenexa, KS) is a chromogenic agar that is FDA approved for screening patients for VRE colonization. The package insert recommends confirming isolates with identification and susceptibility testing, but confirming every culture delays time to result. Given the agar's historic high specificity for E.

Development of a protocol for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in sputum and endotracheal aspirates using Cepheid Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2.

Sputum and endotracheal aspirates (ETs) are not among the vendor-approved specimens for the Cepheid Xpert SARS-CoV-2 assay. However, they are the common lower respiratory tract specimens submitted for laboratory diagnosis. Testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in lower respiratory tract samples is required for the discharge of patients from coronavirus disease (COVID) units at some institutions.

Rapid identification of pathogens from pediatric blood cultures by use of the FilmArray blood culture identification panel.

The performance of the FilmArray blood culture identification (BCID) panel has been studied in adult patients. We describe here an evaluation of this assay for the rapid identification of pathogens in Bactec Peds Plus/F and Bactec standard anaerobic/F bottles that contained blood samples from pediatric patients at a tertiary care children's hospital.