Genomic Data Helps Track Spread of Mumps in United States

Genomic data shows that a single strain of mumps has dominated in the US since at least 2006 and is responsible for much of the large outbreak of the disease in 2016 and 2017, highlighting the importance of high-quality genomic data in public health surveillance, according to an article published in PLOS Biology.

Whole mumps virus genomes from 203 patient swab samples were analyzed. Using epidemiological data and the genomic data, researchers were able to show the scope of the spread of disease, link outbreaks, and trace transmission between communities.

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Reference

Wohl S, Metsky HC, Schaffner SF, et al. Combining genomics and epidemiology to track mumps virus transmission in the United States. PLoS Biol. 2020;18(2):e3000611. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000611