Diagnosing and reintegrating traceability of infectious diseases via metagenomic next-generation sequencing: Study of a severe case of Rickettsia japonica infection

Zhenhua Lu; Jing Han; Yuanyuan Wang; Zhen He; Shuxuan Song; Kun Liu; Zhongjun Shao

doi:10.1016/j.imj.2024.100094

Diagnosing and reintegrating traceability of infectious diseases via metagenomic next-generation sequencing: Study of a severe case of Rickettsia japonica infection

Infect Med (Beijing). 2024 Feb 22;3(1):100094. doi: 10.1016/j.imj.2024.100094. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Authors

Zhenhua Lu¹, Jing Han¹, Yuanyuan Wang², Zhen He¹, Shuxuan Song¹, Kun Liu¹, Zhongjun Shao¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Hazard Assessment and Control in Special Operational Environment, School of Public Health, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
² Department of Infectious Diseases, Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710038, China.

Abstract

Background: In this study, we present a case of Japanese spotted fever (JSF) caused by Rickettsia japonica and use this case to investigate the process of diagnosing and reintegrating traceability of infectious diseases via metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS).

Methods: From data relating to epidemiological history, clinical and laboratory examinations, and mNGS sequencing, a diagnosis of severe JSF was concluded.

Results: A detailed field epidemiological investigation discovered parasitic Haemaphysalis longicornis from a host animal (dog) in the domicile of the patient, within which R. japonica was detected, along with a diverse array of other potentially pathogenic microorganisms that could cause other infectious diseases.

Conclusion: The mNGS provided an efficient method to diagnose JSF infection. This methodology could also be applied to field epidemiological investigations to establish the traceability of infectious diseases.

Keywords: Field epidemiological investigation; Japanese spotted fever; Rickettsial disease; mNGS.