Detection and diagnosis of new pathogens

Abstract

Molecular laboratory techniques are widely used to detect new or previously unrecognised agents which are implicated in infectious disease. In many cases, the traditional microbiology techniques are inadequate and commonly fail to uncover the aetiologic agent, particularly new viruses that continue to challenge the human population. Metagenomics-based tools, such as microarrays and high-throughput deep sequencing are increasingly applied and are ideal for the identification of new human pathogens, particularly viruses.