Expectation for infectious disease studies using environmental DNA

Abstract

Environmental DNA analysis for micro- and macro-organisms is rapidly developing. Environmental DNA means total DNA present in environmental media such as water or soil, and includes DNA contained in the organisms themselves and extra-organism DNA of macro-organisms. Analysis of environmental DNA can be divided into two methods, species-specific detection and meta-barcoding, which can be used according to each purpose. Applicable subjects are all organisms (including viruses in this case) with DNA as genes, and application to rivers, ponds, lakes and marines has been reported. In this paper, the present situation of environmental DNA analysis of macro organisms is described, and the possibility of application to infectious disease studies and the problems to be solved are discussed.