Abstract
Infectious disease is still a major threat in the world today. Five decades ago, it was considered soon to be eradicated, but the adaptation of pathogens to environmental pressure, such as antimicrobials, encouraged the emergence and reemergence of infectious disease. The fight with infectious disease starts with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Diagnosis can be upheld by observing the cause of disease under the microscope or detecting the presence of nucleic acid and proteins of the pathogens. The molecular techniques span from classical polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to sequencing the nucleic acid composition. Here, we are reviewing the works have been undertaken to utilize a portable sequencer, MinION, in various aspects of infectious disease management.
Highlights
Infectious disease has always been intertwined with human history
The fight against infectious agents was so efficient that in the 1960s, control and prevention measures had decreased the incidence of many infectious diseases [1]
polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be used to check for single nucleotide polymorphisms conferring drug resistance
Summary
Infectious disease has always been intertwined with human history. Poliomyelitis was already documented in Egyptian papyrus. PCR can be used to detect the presence of pathogen DNA. Using multiplex primers targeting DNA of many organisms, an investigator can detect the presence of single or multiple infecting agents [10].
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