|
Required Discriminatory Power and Need to Infer Genetic Relationships and/or Population Structure for Various Epidemiologic Applications of Bacterial Typing Techniques |
|||
| Purpose |
Example Research Goal |
Discriminatory Power Needed |
Need to infer genetic relationships and/or population structure |
|
|
|||
| Confirm epidemiologic linkage |
a. Determine if epidemiologically related cases share the identical organism. Result: either support or refute epidemiologic data. |
Low |
Low |
| Generate hypotheses about epidemiologic relationships between bacterial strains in the absence of epidemiologic data |
a. Determine if time-space clustering surveillance isolates have identical or related genetic types. Result: trigger further epidemiologic investigation of related isolates. b. Determine if outbreak is propagated. Result: trigger investigation into how is spread and/or control actions to stop spread. c. Relate clinical outcomes to strain types or to the presence of transferable genetic material, e.g., antimicrobial resistance on a plasmid. Result: improve patient care. |
Moderate to High |
Moderate |
| Describe distribution of bacterial types and identify the determinants of that distribution |
a. Test the hypothesis of clonal spread versus independent origin of a particular strain over disparate geographic areas. Result: Better predict emergence and spread of disease. b. Determine flow of infection from one group to another. Result: Public health intervention c. Identification of pathogenic factors. Result: Develop new interventions or therapies specific to those factors |
Moderate to High |
High |
Foxman et al. Epidemiologic Perspectives & Innovations 2005 2:10 doi:10.1186/1742-5573-2-10 |
|||