Quick and Accurate Detection of Pathogens

Infections of the central nervous system or CNS are often serious and sometimes deadly and yet, determining which pathogen is causing the infection remains challenging. To find whether a virus or bacteria is the cause of someone’s brain inflammation, doctors need a tissue sample, grow it in the lab, and then test it to identify it. Often the tests involve using antibodies of known pathogens.  

We have technology that gets around having to grow the sample, but it also only works if we have a good guess of what’s causing the infection. It’s like trying to identify a criminal only if you already know who they are! 

Today, we know the cause of just half of all CNS infections, making them tough to treat. However, scientists have developed a test called mNGS or metagenomic next-generation sequencing.  

Using cerebrospinal fluid, the test can simultaneously detect a range of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites in just hours. Researchers took 7 years to develop the test and then checked its effectiveness on nearly 5,000 samples. Among the hundreds of positive samples, nearly 800 organisms were identified. Because it scans all genetic material, it can detect rare pathogens, making it valuable for diagnosing mystery infections. The downside is that at $3,000, only patients in rich countries can afford the test for now.