Molecular Identification and Virulence Profiling of Emerging Infectious Micro-Organisms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajcp.v5i2.8654Keywords:
Antimicrobial Resistance, Candida Auris, Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae, CRISPR Diagnostics, Emerging Infectious Microorganisms, Virulence ProfilingAbstract
The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, zoonotic viruses, and invasive fungal pathogens poses a compounding threat to global public health, and conventional phenotypic identification lacks the resolution needed for actionable pathogen characterization. Integrated molecular identification and virulence profiling frameworks are therefore needed. We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review across five databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library) from January 2015 to December 2024, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and JBI/MMAT appraisal; we included 134 studies in the narrative synthesis. A parallel cross-sectional survey (10-item Likert scale) was administered to 300 professionals via REDCap and analyzed in SPSS v29.0 using chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests; internal consistency was low (Cronbach’s alpha = -0.26), consistent with a formative rather than reflective item structure, so items were analyzed and reported individually. Total of 300 invited professionals, 247 responded (82.3%). Quantitative PCR and MALDI-TOF MS were the most common platforms; whole-genome sequencing was familiar to 69.2% but used routinely by only 21.5%. Virulence profiling was absent or marginal in 18.7% of settings. Experts strongly endorsed the clinical relevance of AMR-virulence co-occurrence (85.8% agreement) and identified the LMIC implementation gap as the most critical concern (92.3% agreement), with bioinformatics-expertise shortage, equipment cost, and funding as leading barriers. Molecular identification and virulence profiling technologies are scientifically validated yet structurally constrained in global implementation. AMR-virulence co-profiling must be integrated into clinical microbiology and antimicrobial stewardship practice, and closing the LMIC implementation gap requires investment in bioinformatics capacity, open-access genomic infrastructure, and One Health surveillance integration.
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