The test that finds (almost) every infection
Metagenomic testing is emerging as a powerful diagnostic tool that identifies all microorganisms in a sample, rather than just known pathogens. Originally used to identify Covid-19, the technology is now being deployed in hospitals to diagnose complex conditions like meningitis and sepsis.
Why it matters
This technology represents a paradigm shift in clinical diagnostics, potentially reducing mortality rates for patients with undiagnosed or mysterious infections.
It identified Covid-19. Now this genetic technique is helping doctors to make life-or-death decisions.
In late December 2019, a team of virologists from three major Chinese cities began analysing swabs taken from patients hospitalised with mysterious cases of severe pneumonia.
All had been present at the Huanan Seafood Market, Wuhan, before rapidly falling unwell. But when the virologists ran the samples, they drew a blank: the genetic material did not match any previously discovered pathogen.
The doctors turned to a new screening method known as metagenomic testing. Instead of checking for known microbes, the test could reveal all the microorganisms present in the samples – previously identified or not.
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