November 29, 2012 | 3 Genetic sequences of drug-resistant
bacteria have helped scientists better understand how these
dastardly infections evolve—and elude treatment. But these
superbugs are still claiming lives of many who acquire them in
hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. And recent outbreaks of
these hard-to-treat infections can spread easily in healthcare
settings. Researchers might soon be able to track outbreaks in
real time, thanks to advances in sequencing technology. So say
Mark Walker and Scott Beaston, both of the School of Chemistry
and Molecular Biosciences and Australian Infectious Disease
Research Center at the University of Queensland in Australia, in
an essay published online November 29 in Science. “Genomic
sequencing can provide information that gives facilities a head
start in implementing preventive measures,” they wrote. Current
preventive measures, such as increasing healthcare worker hand
washing and isolating infected patients, have helped to reduce
the spread of many healthcare-ac