Metagenomics for the Identification of Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance Genes: A brief review

Antibiotic resistance (AR) represents one of the most pressing threats to global public health in the 21st century.Antibiotics are often prescribed unnecessarily for viral infections or used inappropriately in livestock to promote growth, contributing to the selection pressure for resistance.In this context, metagenomics has emerged as a powerful approach for the comprehensive identification of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) directly from clinical or environmental samples.Metagenomics overcomes this limitation by allowing direct analysis of the collective genomes of microbial communities in their natural environments.Metagenomic sequencing allows for the simultaneous detection and identification of a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.Beyond pathogen detection, metagenomics can identify antibiotic resistance genes within microbial communities.Metagenomics represents a transformational shift in pathogen diagnostics and antimicrobial resistance surveillance.