Scientist at the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science (PHF Science) in Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿 I use #genomics to understand #evolution, diversity, and pathogenesis 🧬 Pineapple belongs on #pizza 🍍🍕
Great news!
Our latest #OpenAccess paper has been published by @MicrobioSoc
📌Rapid identification and subsequent contextualization of an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a neonatal intensive care unit using @nanopore sequencing
Super proud of our latest #OpenAccess paper:
📌 Early identification of a ward-based outbreak of Clostridioides difficile using prospective multilocus sequence type-based Oxford Nanopore genomic surveillance | Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
It’s out! (despite surgeries, pandemic, floods, finishing the #PhD & relocating)… and it’s #OpenAccess
📌Genomic epidemiology reveals geographical clustering of multidrug-
resistant Escherichia coli ST131 associated with bacteraemia in Wales | Nature Communications
Latest #COVID19 update - featuring a 🟪Purple Reign🟪
🌊 JN.1 now at 68% of recent cases, spreading faster
🏆 First time since winter 2022, a single variant dominates
🚽 #Wastewater analysis confirms a JN.1 takeover
See more: https://www.esr.cri.nz/our-expertise/covid-19-response/covid19-insights/
Our new #OpenAccess paper just published in Microbial Genomics:
📌 Draft genomes of novel avian Chlamydia abortus strains from Australian Torresian crows (Corvus orru) shed light on possible reservoir hosts and evolutionary pathways | Microbiology Society
New #COVID19 update for Aotearoa New Zealand:
👉EG.5 is most common
👉XBC persists despite EG.5 & HK.3
👉EG.5.1.8 & FL.20 growing but not alarming
👉Low frequency of BA.2.86
👉#Wastewater: EG.5 dominant, HK.3 rising, XBC stable, & BA.2.86 detected
See more: https://www.esr.cri.nz/our-expertise/covid-19-response/covid19-insights/
Tēnā koutou katoa & thanks to all who contribute to surveillance, incl. diagnostic teams & analysts who provide real-time info on variants as they establish here 👏Enjoy the weekend all!
New #COVID19 update for Aotearoa New Zealand:
🧪BA.2.86 found in wastewater, not in clinical data as of Sept 29
📈EG.5's growth has slowed, competition or saturation?
🔝Top contenders: HK.3 (EG.5) & FL.2 (XBB)
🚰#Wastewater confirms EG.5 growth
See more: https://www.esr.cri.nz/our-expertise/covid-19-response/covid19-insights/
📢New paper out now!
📌Whole-genome sequencing of Chlamydia psittaci from Australasian avian hosts: A genomics approach to a pathogen that still ruffles feathers | @microbiosoc #MGen #OpenAccess
Evolutionary timelines show ST24 in Australian #parrots shared an ancestor w/ C. psittaci that caused horse infections in Australia (at least 77 years ago). The two C. psittaci genomes found in New Zealand parrots (1979 & 1984) are genetically distinct
New #COVID update in Aotearoa New Zealand
👉XBB variants dominate (58% of sequenced cases)
👉XBB.1.5 decreases to 5%
👉XBB.1.16 holds at 20%
👉Other XBB variants at 32%
👉Age bias is seen in #COVID19 genome sequencing
👉XBB.1.9 lineages are common
Tēnā koutou katoa & thanks to all involved in #Covid_19 monitoring efforts, incl. diagnostic teams & analysts who provide real-time information on variants 👏
See more https://www.esr.cri.nz/our-expertise/covid-19-response/covid19-insights/
Happy #WorldParrotDay!🦜 Parrots carry #zoonotic pathogens like Chlamydia psittaci. We identified a strain in a pet #parrot, highlighting transmission routes & health risks. Let's celebrate these birds while raising #HealthAwareness about #ZoonoticDiseases
Get FREE access to our latest article before 09 July 2023 on Science Direct with this URL:
👉 https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1h6eg1L~HgEIUq
Simply click the link & enjoy hassle-free reading or downloading. No sign up, registration or fees required! #ScienceDirect #FreeAccess #academia
Thrilled to share our #research in #Veterinary #Microbiology!
Molecular characterisation of the Australian and New Zealand livestock Chlamydia pecorum strains confirms novel but clonal ST23 in association with ovine foetal loss
See: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2023.109774
C. pecorum impacts koalas, but is also a pathogen in sheep 🐨🐑
C. pecorum is linked to #sheep abortions & perinatal mortality, w/ potential impacts on livestock & wildlife
New #COVID19 insight: In #NewZealand, XBB variant rises to 36% of all cases, equalling CH.1.1. XBB.1.5 responsible for 22% growth while other lineages decline. #Wastewater matches patient findings with XBB leading at 43%, followed by CH.1.1 at 28% & BA.2.75 at 25%
Tēnā koutou katoa & thanks to all involved in #surveillance efforts, incl. diagnostic teams & analysts who provide real-time information on variants
More info: https://www.esr.cri.nz/our-expertise/covid-19-response/covid19-insights/
The genome is publicly available in NCBI GenBank. We have also deposited the sequence read data in the Sequence Read Archive (SRA) under BioProject PRJNA888783. You may access the #sequencedata for further #research at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJNA888783
C. psittaci ST24 strain BF_amazon_parrot13 clusters w/ Australian equine strains in a distinct subcluster. Although temporally, geographically, & host-separate, BF_amazon_parrot13 had a close genomic relationship to strains from #horses, differing by 4 SNVs from 9945_foetus (2016)
The C. psittaci BF_amazon_parrot13 strain's complete #genome was sequenced, revealing a circular chromosome (1,160,701 bp, GenBank: CP110211) & a chlamydial #plasmid (7,553 bp, GenBank: CP110212) 🧬 #genomics #microbiology #_BRIG
We used whole-genome sequencing to analyse a faecal sample from an asymptomatic parrot in a pet shop 🦜 We found an abundance of C. psittaci reads, confirming a positive infection & highlighting the potential of WGS as a diagnostic tool 🧬 #parrots #pethealth #veterinarymedicine
C. psittaci is a notable avian #pathogen with zoonotic potential. C. psittaci can spillover into non-avian hosts & cause #infections like #pneumonia in humans. Wild parrots are linked with #zoonotic C. psittaci events in #Australia. C. psittaci prevalence in domesticated #birds is unclear, but this study provides the first complete C. psittaci ST24 #genome from a captive parrot & places it in a global context 🌏
Exciting new #research in #Veterinary #Microbiology! Whole-genome sequencing shows evolutionary links between a #Chlamydia psittaci ST24 strain from a healthy captive parrot in #Australia & other strains from parrots, human & horses 🦜🐎
New #COVID19 insight: #Genomics shows Aotearoa New Zealand is confronting multiple immune-evasive variants. CH.1.1 dominates at 42%, alongside BA.2.75* lineages, XBF, & BQ.1.1. XBB is on the rise. #Wastewater analysis is unavailable this week🚽
Tēnā koutou katoa & thanks to all involved in surveillance efforts, incl. diagnostic teams & analysts who provide real-time information on variants
More info: https://www.esr.cri.nz/our-expertise/covid-19-response/covid19-insights/