Rapid viral diagnosis: role of electron microscopy

Starting in the 1960, electron microscopy (EM) became widely applied also in viral diagnosis. During the 1970th and 80th, many new agents were characterized from diagnostic cell cultures and clinical specimens. The wide introduction of ELISA- and PCR-techniques as well as cost-arguments recently reduced the role of EM in routine viral diagnosis. Compared to other diagnostic techniques, however, EM excells by speed and "open view", i.e. by the ability to detect also the "un-expected" without the need for specific reagents. As shown in 2003 by the elucidation of the SARS pandemia and the human monkeypox outbreak in US, EM is well suited as a safe, front-line diagnostic method in infectious diseases emergencies and/or in possible bioterrorist attacks.