Abstract
Strain-typing technology in support of outbreak identification and resolution has evolved from phenotypic analysis, such as serology and biotypes, to much-more-robust molecular genetic approaches, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole-genome sequencing. Whole-genome mapping (WGM) has been recently applied to subtyping analysis, and it bridges the gap between PFGE (∼20 bands sorted by size) and whole-genome sequencing. WGM utilizes restriction site analysis but arranges 200 to 500 bands in the order they appear on the chromosome. WGM is able to quickly and cost-effectively generate high-resolution, ordered whole-genome maps of bacteria.