Metagenomic monitoring in wastewater: early detection of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes.
Keywords:
Metagenomics, wastewater-based epidemiology, antimicrobial resistance genesAbstract
This study focuses on the application of metagenomic monitoring in wastewater to serve as an early detection system for epidemiological threats and to assess the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Wastewater acts as a collective biological mirror of a population; thus, high-throughput DNA/RNA sequencing (NGS) allows for the identification of pathogenic microorganisms before clinical cases peak. Through shotgun metagenomic sequencing, this research analyzes bacterial and viral pathogens alongside mobile resistance determinants (plasmids and integrons) present in wastewater infrastructure. The findings highlight the critical role of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a non-invasive, cost-effective early warning tool for public health surveillance and pandemic preparedness.
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