Researchers Use Mobile Phone Data to Track Pathogen Spread and Evolution
In a groundbreaking study published in Nature, scientists have unveiled a novel approach to tracking the spread and evolution of pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), which are responsible for pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis worldwide. This innovative method harnesses anonymised mobile phone data to map human travel patterns, providing insights crucial for predicting and preventing future outbreaks.
Conducted by a collaborative team from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, National Institute for Communicable Disease in South Africa, University of Cambridge, and partners from the Global Pneumococcal Sequencing project, the study integrated genomic data from nearly 7,000 pneumococcus samples collected in South Africa between 2000 and 2014.
By correlating this genomic data with anonymised human mobility patterns collected via Meta2’s mobile phone data, the researchers were able to trace how pneumococcal strains move between regions and evolve over time. Their computational models revealed that these bacterial strains can take up to 50 years to fully disseminate across South African populations, primarily influenced by localized human movement behaviors.
Despite the introduction of a pneumococcal vaccine in 2009 targeting specific bacterial types, the study highlighted unexpected consequences. While cases caused by the targeted strains decreased, other non-targeted strains gained a significant competitive advantage, leading to an alarming rise in antibiotic resistance, including resistance to penicillin. This phenomenon underscores the temporary nature of vaccine-induced protection against antibiotic resistance.
Dr. Sophie Belman, the study’s first author and former PhD student at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, emphasized the broader implications of the research: “This approach not only enhances our understanding of pathogen dynamics but also offers insights crucial for developing more effective vaccines. It could be extrapolated to study other regions and pathogens, aiding in the battle against antimicrobial resistance and optimizing vaccine strategies worldwide.”
The World Health Organization identifies antimicrobial resistance as a critical global health threat, driven by pathogens adapting to antibiotics over time. The findings of this study represent a significant leap forward in the fight against infectious diseases, paving the way for more targeted and sustainable public health interventions.