[Gene technology in medical microbiology--epidemiology and diagnosis]

Genetic approaches have been helpful in investigating the epidemiology of infectious diseases. There are many examples in which analysis of plasmid profiles or restriction endonuclease patterns have been used successfully in epidemiological tracing to identify sources of infection and determine the size of an outbreak. A number of genetic probes are presently commercially available to diagnostic microbiological laboratories. Probes have been developed for detection of virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and for qualitative and quantitative determination of specific pathogens in clinical samples. This technology is currently in the process of being considerably modified and improved, which has already made it an attractive alternative to conventional methods.