Communicable diseases genomics network: promoting and harmonising pathogen genomics implementation for public health in Australia.

2025-09-22

Lin, Chantel

Jennison, Amy V

Leong, Lex E X

Speers, David J

Meumann, Ella

Cooley, Louise

Kennedy, Karina

Arnott, Alicia

Winter, David

Rawlinson, William

Robson, Jennifer

Harris, Patrick

Donald, Angela

Seemann, Torsten

Ballard, Susan A

Kirk, Martyn

Sintchenko, Vitali

Williamson, Deborah A

Howden, Benjamin P

Communicable Diseases Genomics Network, Australia.

Centre for Pathogen Genomics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Public and Environmental Health Reference Laboratories, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Department of Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Department of Microbiology, North West Network, PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, Nedlands, WA, Australia.

School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.

Microbiology Department, Territory Pathology, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, NT, Australia.

Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia.

Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS, Australia.

Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canberra Hospital, Garran, ACT, Australia.

Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL), Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Public Health and Forensic Science (PHF Science), Kenepuru, Porirua, New Zealand.

Serology and Virology Division (SAViD) NSW Health Pathology, Randwick, NSW, Australia.

School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Microbiology and Molecular Pathology, Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

Central Microbiology, Pathology Queensland, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia.

University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston, QLD, Australia.

Communicable Diseases Genomics Network, Australia.

Centre for Pathogen Genomics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Centre for Pathogen Genomics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.

National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Public Health, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9TF.

MRC University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, Scotland, G61 1QH.

Centre for Pathogen Genomics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.

Implementation

Networking

Pathogen genomics

Public health

Journal Article

Publication

Globally, the utility of pathogen genomics for public health was highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Approaches to enhance coordination and improve implementation of pathogen genomics for public health are needed. The Communicable Diseases Genomics Network (CDGN) was established in 2015 in Australia. The network, embedded at the public health laboratory interface and supported by the Australian Government, has facilitated a coordinated model in Australia for public health pathogen genomics. CDGN activities have facilitated pilot projects to demonstrate use cases, harmonisation of data sharing and governance arrangements, outbreak and pandemic response, translational research, policy development and workforce capacity building. The impact of CDGN has been enabling the significant progress towards public health genomics implementation in Australia, and providing a model that could be applied in other federated settings, aligned with international best practice.

link

Lancet Reg Health West Pac . 2025 Sep 22:63:101692. doi: 10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101692. eCollection 2025 Oct.

2666-6065

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41050627/?otool=iaurydwlib