Genome sequencing has revolutionized how scientists track infectious diseases by allowing them to read the genetic “fingerprints” of viruses and bacteria. Researchers have used this technology to trace outbreaks of COVID-19, Ebola, plague, and other diseases across time and geography.
However, scientists emphasize that DNA alone cannot fully explain why outbreaks begin, spread, or become devastating pandemics. To uncover the full picture, researchers combine genetic evidence with archaeology, historical records, trade networks, and epidemiology.
Studies on the Black Death and modern COVID-19 outbreaks show that understanding disease requires both molecular science and human history working together to reveal how pathogens move through societies.
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