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Remote Laboratory Management: Respiratory Virus Diagnostics
Published on: April 6, 2019
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Laboratory Diagnosis of Tropical Infections
1Department of Microbiology, PD Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Summary
Laboratory diagnosis of tropical infections relies on various methods. While blood culture is standard for bacterial infections, bone marrow culture shows higher sensitivity. Newer techniques like PCR and ELISA are increasingly vital for diagnosing many tropical diseases.
Area of Science:
- * Clinical microbiology and infectious disease diagnostics.
- * Focus on laboratory techniques for tropical and emerging infectious agents.
Background:
- * Accurate laboratory diagnosis is crucial for effective management of bacterial and viral tropical infections.
- * Traditional diagnostic methods are being supplemented and, in some cases, replaced by molecular and serological assays.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To review and highlight key laboratory diagnostic methods for a range of tropical infections.
- * To emphasize the evolving landscape of diagnostic tools, including molecular and serological tests.
Main Methods:
- * Review of established and emerging laboratory diagnostic techniques.
- * Discussion of methods including blood and bone marrow cultures, microscopy, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) like PCR and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra, and serological assays (ELISA, Weil-Felix, agglutination tests).
Main Results:
- * Blood culture remains a gold standard for bacterial infections, but bone marrow culture offers superior sensitivity, especially with antibiotic use.
- * Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and IgM ELISA are increasingly preferred for diagnosing leptospirosis over the microscopic agglutination test.
- * Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra is highlighted for tuberculosis diagnosis, detecting rifampicin resistance, alongside other methods like microscopy and various culture techniques.
- * Tropical rickettsial infections are diagnosed via serological reactions and PCR.
- * Brucellosis diagnosis primarily relies on culture from various specimens.
- * Dengue, Zika, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Ebola, hantavirus, and rabies are diagnosed using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and serological tests.
Conclusions:
- * Laboratory diagnostics for tropical infections encompass a spectrum of techniques, from traditional cultures to advanced molecular and serological assays.
- * The choice of diagnostic method depends on the specific pathogen, clinical context, and availability of technology.
- * Molecular methods like PCR and advanced serological tests are becoming indispensable for rapid and accurate diagnosis of many tropical diseases.
