How Can Molecular Techniques Be Used for Outbreak Tracking?
Molecular techniques are crucial for tracking disease outbreaks. By analyzing the genetic material of pathogens, epidemiologists can identify the source of an outbreak, understand how the disease is spreading, and determine the relationships between different cases. For example, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) can be used to compare the genetic sequences of pathogens from different patients to determine if they are part of the same outbreak.
