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Comprehensive Genomic Analysis Solutions for Zoonotic Diseases

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Comprehensive Genomic Analysis Solutions for Zoonotic Diseases:
Influenza A H5N1 Panel

Zoonotic diseases refer to infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. These pathogens have the potential to cross the boundaries between animals and humans, sometimes leading to large-scale epidemics. Notable zoonotic diseases include avian influenza, tuberculosis, Ebola, and coronaviruses. In particular, SARS-CoV-2, which caused the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2019, is a prime example of how zoonotic diseases can lead to a global public health crisis. These diseases can spread rapidly and, in the absence of preventive measures and treatments, inflict significant damage, highlighting their considerable risk.

Since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, global health authorities and researchers have been closely monitoring potential pathogens that could trigger future pandemics. Among these, influenza is of particular concern due to its ability to mutate rapidly and its potential as a zoonotic disease to be transmitted from animals to humans. The Influenza A H5N1 virus is a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus that typically spreads among birds but can also transmit to humans through contact with infected birds. While human-to-human transmission of H5N1 has been extremely rare, there are ongoing concerns remain that mutations enabling efficient human-to-human transmission could lead to a devastating pandemic due to the virus’s high fatality rate.

Genomic analysis of viruses is essential for detecting and responding to potential pandemic at an early stage. By examining the genomic sequences of influenza viruses, researchers can trace viral mutations, study evolutionary pathways, and assess the virus’s potential to adapt to human hosts. Moreover, understanding the transmissibility and pathogenicity of these viruses helps detect emerging variants and facilitates the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs, playing a crucial role in pandemic prevention.

Celemics offers a range of solutions for conducting whole-genome analysis of pathogens. Based on the characteristics of the pathogen and the analysis goals, we provide whole-genome sequencing kits based on PCR amplicon and hybridization methods. For Influenza A H5N1 virus, Celemics has developed a hybridization-based capture panel with high tolerance for mutations, enabling comprehensive analysis of various subtypes. Using this specific panel, we have successfully performed whole-genome analysis of the eight segments of the influenza A H5N1 virus from actual samples and confirmed the capability to detect mutations, as demonstrated in the data examples below.

Example of whole-genome analysis results for the Influenza A H5N1 panel (IGV) – Successfully achieved 100% coverage across all 8 segments.

Mutation detection results for two Influenza A H5N1 clinical samples (IGV).