Sharing Is Caring: International Sharing of Data Enhances Genomic Surveillance ofListeria monocytogenes

TO THE EDITOR—We read with interest the 2 recent reports by Jackson et al and Jensen et al on the use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for surveillance and outbreak investigation of Listeria monocytogenes [1, 2]. We have also used WGS in Australia for this purpose [3] and, on the basis of our experience, we wish to highlight the importance of international collaborations and real-time data exchange. An elderly man presented with confusion and fever for investigation and was subsequently admitted to hospital. Blood cultures were positive for L. monocytogenes, with the case notified to the state department of health, and the isolate was referred to state and national Listeria reference laboratories. The isolate underwent molecular typing and WGS (European Nucleotide Archive accession number ERS946910) in accordance with a national Listeria surveillance program [3], and epidemiologic information was obtained using a standardized case questionnaire. As the isolate was not epidemiologically or genomically linked to any other Australian isolate, the case was deemed to be sporadic. WGS data were also submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration GenomeTrakr network, an enhanced real-time surveillance program, for comparison with international isolates [1]. Upon analysis, the isolate was found to be almost identical to a US cluster of isolates from stone fruit,