Protocol for metagenomic virus detection in clinical specimens

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Public Health
• Genomics

Background:

• Emerging viruses, often zoonotic, pose significant public health risks.
• Rapid identification of novel pathogens is crucial for prevention and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare classical and modern virus purification methods.
• To develop an unbiased protocol for detecting known and novel viruses in organ tissues.

Main Methods:

• Quantifiable comparison of virus purification and enrichment techniques.
• Establishment and validation of the tissue-based universal virus detection for viral metagenomics (TUViD-VM) protocol.
• Validation using real-time PCR and next-generation sequencing.

Main Results:

• The TUViD-VM protocol significantly increased detectable virus nucleic acids.
• Improved virus detection by up to 75,000-fold compared to other methods.
• Demonstrated unbiased detection of viruses from organ tissues.

Conclusions:

• The TUViD-VM protocol offers a powerful tool for metagenomic and virome studies.
• Enhances the detection of emerging viruses from diverse biological sources.
• Aids in early identification of zoonotic threats for public health.