全基因组测序技术通过对致病菌DNA化学构成的测序，揭示致病菌的基因指纹。例如近来它被用于鉴定3月份的一起李斯特菌疫情，将软奶酪中的致病菌与李斯特菌的基因指纹进行比对，进而做出判定。
据了解，近年来美国FDA广泛采用全基因组测序技术鉴别食源性致病菌，包括鉴别污染食物并引发疫情微生物的属性和源头。
部分原文报道如下：
Whole genome sequencing （WGS） is an advanced technology that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is increasingly using to better understand foodborne pathogens, including identifying the nature and source of microbes that contaminate food and cause outbreaks of illness.
WGS essentially reveals the genetic fingerprint of a pathogen, by sequencing the chemical building blocks that make up its DNA. For example, it was recently used to help match samples of soft cheese to the genetic fingerprint of Listeria monocytogenes involved in a deadly foodborne illness outbreak in early March.
