Early and accurate diagnosis is key to mitigating the impact of infectious diseases, along with efficient surveillance. This however is particularly challenging in aquatic environments due to hidden biodiversity and physical constraints. Traditional diagnostics, such as visual diagnosis and histopathology, are still widely used, but increasingly technological advances such as portable next generation sequencing (NGS) and artificial intelligence (AI) are being tested for early diagnosis. The most straightforward methodologies, based on visual diagnosis, rely on specialist knowledge and experience but provide a foundation for surveillance. Future computational remote sensing methods, such as AI image diagnosis and drone surveillance, will ultimately reduce labour costs whilst not compromising on sensitivity, but they require capital and infrastructural investment. Molecular techniques have advanced rapidly in the last 30 years, from standard PCR through loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) to NGS approaches, providing a range of technologies that support the currently popular eDNA diagnosis. There is now vast potential for transformative change driven by developments in human diagnostics. Here we compare current surveillance and diagnostic technologies with those that could be used or developed for use in the aquatic environment, against three gold standard ideals of high sensitivity, specificity, rapid diagnosis, and cost-effectiveness.

中文翻译：

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改进水生病原体的监测和早期诊断：从传统方法到新兴技术

早期准确的诊断以及有效的监测是减轻传染病影响的关键。然而，由于隐藏的生物多样性和物理限制，这在水生环境中尤其具有挑战性。传统诊断，如视觉诊断和组织病理学，仍然广泛使用，但越来越多的技术进步，如便携式下一代测序 (NGS) 和人工智能 (AI) 正在接受早期诊断的测试。最直接的方法基于视觉诊断，依赖于专业知识和经验，但为监测提供了基础。未来的计算遥感方法，例如人工智能图像诊断和无人机监视，最终将在不影响灵敏度的情况下降低劳动力成本，但它们需要资本和基础设施投资。分子技术在过去 30 年中发展迅速，从标准 PCR 到环介导等温扩增 (LAMP) 再到 NGS 方法，提供了一系列支持当前流行的 eDNA 诊断的技术。人类诊断学的发展推动了变革的巨大潜力。在这里，我们将当前的监测和诊断技术与可用于或开发用于水生环境的技术与高灵敏度、特异性、快速诊断和成本效益的三个黄金标准理想进行比较。