The purpose of this project with the Federal Office of Public Health and Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office is to (i) expand the SPSP platform to include bacterial pathogens of high public health importance, in order to (ii) provide and share valuable genomic data in a “One Health” context, and (iii) offer a sustainable framework for sequencing-based surveillance in Switzerland.

Context

The past years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have demonstrated the importance of sharing genomic and molecular epidemiology data to monitor the evolution of pathogens. The use of genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 across the globe enabled the tracking of emerging variants of concern and the assessment of public health measures taken by authorities. Thanks to the extensive sequencing capacities developed in Switzerland during the pandemic, it is now possible to monitor highly virulent and resistant bacterial pathogens with an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. The data collected are of great interest for both public and individual health, serving to inform specialists and the public about infectious threats and to promote the overall well-being of the Swiss population. At the European level, the project also aims to respond to the growing demand for sequencing-based surveillance and data sharing to improve food safety and public health in a “One Health” context marked by increasing antimicrobial resistance.

Project Description

To ensure optimal access to data obtained from human, veterinary, and environmental samples, and to conduct risk analyses at both the Swiss and European levels, there is an urgent need for a national data-sharing platform for pathogens that pose a threat to public health. This platform will allow for the standardization of data exchange, automation of technical processes, execution of validated comparative bioinformatic analyses, and generation of structured reports for various Swiss and European partners. The SPSP is a national consortium involving all stakeholders in the development phase of the functional specifications, thereby ensuring that the implemented workflows and generated reports meet the actual needs of diagnostic laboratories and public health professionals. It also ensures that, at the national level, there is a consensus in the fields of microbiology, infection control, and public health.