New perspectives from genomic analyses of bacterial infectious agents

Recent advances in the technologies for genomic sequencing and systems for handling and processing sequencing data have transformed bacterial genomics into a near-routine approach for both small- and large-scale investigations of infectious agents. Nonetheless, the application of genomics - especially largerscale studies - to animal infectious agents lags behind its application to human pathogens, despite the growing importance of many animal species as food sources. Assiduously conducted genomic studies offer major benefits, not merely by providing a detailed understanding of infectious agents but also through the exploitation of such findings to enable more accurate diagnosis, high-resolution typing and the development of improved interventions. The use of genomics for these and other purposes is likely to grow in future years and it must be anticipated that investigation and characterisation of important animal infectious agents will also gain considerable benefits. Using mainly animal pathogens as examples - including several infectious agents listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health - this paper provides a concise summary of some recent purposes and developments in bacterial genomics analysis.