The series of training modules, which started in May 2024 with a 3-day course for epidemiologists and microbiologists, and later continued in October with another 3-day training for epidemiologists, now arrived in the next milestone, when the fourth educational module was organized by the Twinning project on 4-5 March 2025 and hosted by IPHS Batut.
The thematic scope in the previous educational modules ranged from principles of applied epidemiology to data collection and management tools in outbreak investigations and surveillance practice. The latest training was primarily intended for public health epidemiologists and raised questions of using whole genome sequencing (WGS) for surveillance and outbreak detection purposes. Some of the lectures also evoked interest from epidemiologists. Altogether, 23 people from IPHS Batut, University Clinical Centre, IPH from Vojvodina, Torlak Institute and Medical Faculty of the University of Belgrade attended the training course, which was accredited by EACCME.
The team of lecturers included 6 experienced microbiologists and bioinformaticians from THL. Besides, one presentation was delivered online by an ECDC expert. In their presentations, the lecturers described laboratory processes of WGS performed at THL as well data management issues, basic bioinformatics, and insights into some laboratory procedures and analytical methods. In their material, the Finnish experts used real-life examples of WGS application for surveillance and detecting a Listeria outbreak, and also for AMR detection. Also, a molecular typing tool within the Epipulse platform was demonstrated to show possibility of strain comparison between countries in Europe. The ECDC’s intervention dealt with the EU surveillance objectives and efforts to enhance surveillance data collection and interpretation at European level.
The last session in the training contained presentations from all participating Serbian health institutes for their plans concerning WGS implementation. All institutes had challenges with funding, procurement of reagents and consumables, and lack of expertise in bioinformatics. However, all institutes had concrete plans for sequencing in the future, and all have access to sequencing equipment. Based on the local presentations, the THL team arrived to the following recommendations:
- It is advisable to do strategic prioritization of pathogens for genomic surveillance in Serbia, and such strategy together with a cost estimate could be produced in collaboration between the institutes, and between molecular microbiologists and epidemiologists.
- Proof-of-concept studies should be performed for selected pathogens. This would show the benefits of genomic surveillance and outbreak investigation to stakeholders in real life events.
- More centralized WGS/NGS service for surveillance and outbreak investigation could be considered. Centralizing some of the equipment and staff in few facilities would reduce the total funding needed to maintain ongoing genomic surveillance.