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Updated: Jul 1, 2026
11:23
Purifying the Impure: Sequencing Metagenomes and Metatranscriptomes from Complex Animal-associated Samples
Published on: December 22, 2014
Empowering One Health with metagenomics
Erin Harvey1, Kate Van Brussel2, Edward C Holmes3
1Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany.
One Health Outlook
|June 30, 2026
Summary
A global One Health approach is crucial for infectious disease response. Metagenomics offers rapid, sensitive diagnostics and surveillance, advancing understanding of disease origins and ecology, despite current limitations.
Area of Science:
- One Health
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Genomics
Background:
- Global connectivity necessitates integrated approaches for human, animal, and ecosystem health.
- Recent emergence of pathogens underscores the need for advanced diagnostic tools.
- Metagenomics, a powerful research tool, gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of metagenomic studies on understanding infectious disease origins, etiology, and ecology within a One Health framework.
- To explore the future role of metagenomics in diagnostics and disease surveillance.
- To outline current challenges and limitations of metagenomic methodologies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of metagenomic studies relevant to infectious diseases and One Health.
- Analysis of the application of metagenomics in disease outbreak investigations.
- Discussion of technological advancements and limitations in metagenomic sequencing and analysis.
Main Results:
- Metagenomics has significantly enhanced understanding of pathogen origins, transmission dynamics, and ecological interactions.
- The technology has proven valuable for rapid identification of known and novel pathogens.
- Metagenomics supports integrated surveillance systems for a One Health approach.
Conclusions:
- Metagenomics is a vital tool for infectious disease research and surveillance within the One Health paradigm.
- Continued development is needed to overcome limitations in cost, speed, and data interpretation.
- Metagenomics will play an increasingly important role in global health security.
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