The existence of this story does not claim, infer, or imply CDC or United States Government endorsement, i.e. support of this MathWorks software tool over any other similar software, the MathWorks organization, or any other MathWorks product.
Eliminated throughout most of the world, polioviruses are still active in several countries, including Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports the Polio Eradication Initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) by providing epidemiologic and technical expertise to polio-endemic countries and partner agencies.
CDC’s Polio Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory (PMEL) sequences poliovirus samples to determine their genetic signature and monitors the virus as it changes and spreads. The lab produces comprehensive reports that enable researchers to understand how the virus evolves during replication and to help health agencies mount more effective immunization campaigns.
MATLAB® and related toolboxes accelerate CDC’s virus-tracking and reporting process. MathWorks tools enabled CDC to automate many steps in what used to be a labor-intensive workflow for managing and analyzing genetic sequencing data. As a result, CDC personnel spend less time on routine characterization and reporting tasks and more time on applied research.