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MALDI-TOF MS meets WGS in a VRE outbreak investigation

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Abstract

The use of MALDI-TOF MS (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry) and WGS (whole genome sequencing) has been described for identification and strain relatedness determination. We describe the complementary use of MALDI-TOF MS and WGS in a VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci) outbreak investigation, and discuss some of the challenges with defining strain similarity across these two platforms. Although both assays indicated multiple clusters involved in the outbreak of vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates from positive blood cultures of four haematology–oncology patients, the small cohort and discrepancies between findings indicate the limitations of MALDI-TOF MS and the cautious interpretation of MALDI-TOF MS dendrograms during outbreaks. For definitive determination of the evolutionary distance between isolates, WGS can be used.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the staff from the Microbiology Division, Pathology Department, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia, for the isolation and identification of the VRE.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathology Department, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    S. Schlebusch, G. R. Price, R. L. Gallagher, V. Horton-Szar & D. J. Venter

  2. School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia

    S. Schlebusch, P. Griffin & D. J. Venter

  3. Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    L. D. H. Elbourne

  4. Department of Medicine, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    P. Griffin

  5. QIMR Berghofer, Brisbane, Australia

    P. Griffin

  6. MRI-UQ, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    D. J. Venter

  7. Molecular Medicine Research Group, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    S. O. Jensen

  8. Antibiotic Resistance and Mobile Elements Group, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    S. O. Jensen

  9. Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia

    S. J. Van Hal

Authors
  1. S. Schlebusch
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  2. G. R. Price
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  3. R. L. Gallagher
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  4. V. Horton-Szar
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  5. L. D. H. Elbourne
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  6. P. Griffin
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  7. D. J. Venter
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  8. S. O. Jensen
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  9. S. J. Van Hal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Schlebusch.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This work was conducted in accordance with all necessary regulatory approvals including the institutional Human Research Ethics Committee requirements.

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Schlebusch, S., Price, G.R., Gallagher, R.L. et al. MALDI-TOF MS meets WGS in a VRE outbreak investigation. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 36, 495–499 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-016-2824-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-016-2824-4

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