National genomics reporting

Since August 2020, the Communicable Diseases Genomics Network (CDGN) AusTrakka National Analysis Team have provided monthly Australian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Epidemiology Surveillance Reports to the Australian Government Department of Health National Incident Room (NIR).

Genomic surveillance is a significant component of Australia’s response to COVID-19 and is established as part of the national approach to surveillance through genomic indicators listed in the ‘Australian National Disease Surveillance Plan for COVID-19’. This is being facilitated by the recently endorsed ‘Australia’s Pathogen Genomics Implementation Plan’, which is operationalised through the CDGN and the Public Health Laboratory Network.

Public health laboratories in every state and territory have been routinely sequencing uploading their SARS-CoV-2 sequences to AusTrakka allowing for efficient information sharing and rapid identification of interjurisdictional outbreaks and ongoing national genomic surveillance of cases and Variants of Concern (VOC’s), across the country. AusTrakka is a nationally endorsed platform for real-time analysis of integrated pathogen genomic data for public health across Australia.

Since August 2020, the CDGN AusTrakka National Analysis Team have provided monthly Australian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Epidemiology Surveillance Reports to the National Incident Room (NIR) and have responded to several requests from jurisdictions and the NIR for genomic analysis to investigate suspected inter-jurisdictional or international transmission and emerging clusters. The NIR coordinates national responses to health emergencies, significant events and emerging threats, where there is an impact on human health or health systems. From March 2021, SARS-CoV-2 genomics updates informed by the CDGN member laboratories will be integrated in the Australian Government Communicable Diseases Intelligence (CDI) Communicable Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemiology reports, Australia.

This page contains links to epidemiological reports, published in CDI, on the incidence, severity, and distribution of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) [previously known as novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)] within Australia.

View the latest version of the monthly CDI Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemiology report by the Department of Health.

Latest COVID-19 news

Featured

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From Centaurus to XBB: your handy guide to the latest COVID subvariants (and why some are more worrying than others)

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We are also increasingly hearing about new Omicron sub-variants with names such as BA.2, BA.4 and now BA.5. The concern is these sub-variants may lead to people becoming reinfected, leading to another rise in cases.

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Why are there so many new Omicron sub-variants, like BA.4 and BA.5? Will I be reinfected? Is the virus mutating faster?

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Associate Professor Torsten Seemann wins WHO Western Pacific Region Innovation Challenge for the creation of AusTrakka

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University of Melbourne Associate Professor Torsten Seemann has won the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Innovation Challenge for his work leading the development of AusTrakka, Australia’s national pathogen genomics surveillance platform.

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Genomics platform enables real-time surveillance of pathogens nationally

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Published in Nature Communications, researchers behind AusTrakka outline how the platform has facilitated rapid data sharing, democratised access to computational and bioinformatic resources and expertise, and achieved national real-time genomic surveillance.

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Q&A: What we do (and don’t) know about Omicron

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The latest COVID-19 variant, Omicron, has sparked international travel bans, stricter quarantine and a lot of “hype” worldwide – but we still have a lot to learn about the mutation

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Researchers develop critical framework to examine use of whole-genome sequencing in public health surveillance and disease control

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The Pathogen Genomics in Public HeAlth Surveillance Evaluation (PG-PHASE) Framework published in Genome Medicine, uses an adaptable, whole-of-system approach towards understanding the utility of pathogen genomics and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in disease control and measuring the impact on public health processes and outcomes.

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The vital role being played by COVID genomic sequencing

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The Communicable Diseases Genomic Network (CDGN) co-chair Professor Ben Howden, featured on ABC Radio National’s Sunday Extra with Julian Morrow to discuss the important role genomic sequencing has played in the COVID-19 pandemic response.

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Podcast: 101 on genomic sequencing and the B.1.617 variant

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It’s been widely publicised that the variant of SARS-CoV-2 associated with Melbourne’s outbreak is the B.1.617 variant. What do we know about it? Is it more transmissible?

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Webinar recording: Genome Sequencing COVID-19

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Genome sequencing has been around for decades and has become faster and cheaper in more recent years. But how is it currently being used across the world in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic?

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WEBINAR: AusTrakka: integrated pathogen genomics for SARS-CoV-2

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Dr Clare Sloggett, Doherty Institute, recently presented a webinar on AusTrakka, hosted by Australian BioCommons.

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