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Unprecedented Melioidosis Cases in Northern Australia Caused by an Asian Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain Identified by Using Large-Scale Comparative Genomics

Overview of attention for article published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2015
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  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (53rd percentile)
  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (53rd percentile)

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Title
Unprecedented Melioidosis Cases in Northern Australia Caused by an Asian Burkholderia pseudomallei Strain Identified by Using Large-Scale Comparative Genomics
Published in
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2015
DOI 10.1128/aem.03013-15
Pubmed ID
Authors

Erin P. Price, Derek S. Sarovich, Emma J. Smith, Barbara MacHunter, Glenda Harrington, Vanessa Theobald, Carina M. Hall, Heidie M. Hornstra, Evan McRobb, Yuwana Podin, Mark Mayo, Jason W. Sahl, David M. Wagner, Paul Keim, Mirjam Kaestli, Bart J. Currie

Abstract

Melioidosis is a disease of humans and animals that is caused by the saprophytic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Once thought to be confined to limited locations, the known presence of B. pseudomallei is expanding as more regions of endemicity are uncovered. There is no vaccine for melioidosis, and mortality remains as high as 40% in some endemic regions, even with antibiotic administration. Despite high levels of recombination, phylogenetic reconstruction of B. pseudomallei populations using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has revealed surprisingly robust biogeographic separation between isolates from Australia and Asia. To date, there have been no confirmed autochthonous melioidosis cases in Australia caused by an Asian isolate; likewise, no autochthonous cases in Asia have been identified as Australian in origin. Here, we used comparative genomic analysis of 455 B. pseudomallei genomes to confirm the unprecedented presence of an Asian clone, sequence type (ST) 562, in Darwin, northern Australia. First observed in 2005, the incidence of melioidosis cases attributable to ST-562 infection has steadily risen, and it is now a common Darwin strain. Intriguingly, Australian ST-562 appears to be geographically restricted to a single locale and is genetically less diverse than other common STs from this region, indicating a recent introduction of this clone into northern Australia. Detailed genomic and epidemiological investigation of new clinical and environmental B. pseudomallei isolates in the Darwin region, and ST-562 isolates from Asia, will be critical for understanding the origin, distribution and dissemination of this emerging clone in northern Australia.

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The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 7 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 27 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 27 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 5 19%
Student > Bachelor 3 11%
Researcher 3 11%
Student > Ph. D. Student 3 11%
Other 2 7%
Other 4 15%
Unknown 7 26%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 7 26%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 5 19%
Immunology and Microbiology 3 11%
Medicine and Dentistry 2 7%
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science 1 4%
Other 2 7%
Unknown 7 26%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 17 November 2017.
All research outputs
#8,534,528
of 25,373,627 outputs
Outputs from Applied and Environmental Microbiology
#8,288
of 19,160 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#124,111
of 393,173 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Applied and Environmental Microbiology
#66
of 155 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,373,627 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 43rd percentile – i.e., 43% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 19,160 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.7. This one is in the 19th percentile – i.e., 19% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 393,173 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 53% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 155 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 53% of its contemporaries.