Researchers at King’s and Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust have identified a novel bacteria, named Variovorax durovernensis, causing a patient’s blood infection. The patient, a shepherd from Canterbury, exhibited fever, and standard tests revealed two bacterial species, with one remaining unidentified through conventional methods.
Using nanopore sequencing, researchers rapidly analysed the bacteria’s genome, confirming it as a new species within the Variovorax group. The patient named it after Canterbury. The study emphasises the efficacy of nanopore sequencing in clinical practice, offering a faster and more accessible alternative to traditional laboratory analysis.