Infectious diseases represent a significant burden on global public health. Digital PCR (dPCR) has emerged as a novel tool for diagnosing prevalent infectious disease pathogens. However, there is currently a lack of bibliometric analyses that systematically examine the full scope of this research area. To address this gap, we have identified the research hotspots and emerging trends in the application of dPCR for infectious diseases to analyze the current landscape and future directions of digital PCR applications in this field. This study examines the application of digital PCR in infectious diseases, utilizing literature from the Web of Science Core Collection covering the period from June 2014 to June 2024. Bibliometric analyses were performed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. 496 documents were included in this study, revealing that the publication trend in this field over the past ten years has undergone three distinct phases: a slow rise, a rapid increase, and a subsequent slow decline. A core group of journals focusing on microbiology-related topics has begun to emerge in this field; however, a core group of authors has yet to be established. The reference titled "Quantitative Detection and Viral Load Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in Infected Patients" is the most frequently cited, and the high-frequency keywords include digital PCR and SARS-CoV-2. This bibliometric analysis represents the first comprehensive summary of digital PCR in infectious disease research. The study identifies key hotspots and development trends of digital PCR applications in this field while also providing an in-depth analysis of the researchers, research institutions, and emerging hotspots and frontiers associated with digital PCR. This work offers insights for relevant researchers and future investigations.

Xueping Hou, Linlin Xiao, Xixi Liao, Dan Zhang. Application of droplet digital PCR in infectious diseases: A bibliometric analysis. Frontiers in Medical Science Research (2024), Vol. 6, Issue 10: 18-27. https://doi.org/10.25236/FMSR.2024.061003.

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