AI Article Synopsis
- The use of molecular detection techniques for identifying and typing microorganisms is increasingly being adopted in routine diagnostic labs, moving away from strictly academic settings.
- These methods enhance clinical laboratories' ability to detect pathogens with higher sensitivity, specificity, and quicker results, and are also effective for identifying hard-to-culture organisms.
- The paper discusses the advantages and challenges of molecular methods in diagnostics, focusing on specific pathogens like Borrelia burgdorferi, Treponema pallidum, and West Nile virus, drawing from real-world clinical and public health experience.
Article Abstract
The role of molecular detection, identification and typing or fingerprinting of microorganisms has shifted gradually from the academic world to the routine diagnostic laboratory. Molecular methods have been used increasingly over the past decade to improve the sensitivity, specificity and turn-around time in the clinical laboratory. Molecular methods have also been used to identify new and nonculturable agents. Many high-throughput molecular tests are now available commercially, which impacts on the infrastructure in many of the diagnostic laboratories. In this paper, we take an overall look at the use of molecular methods (prospects vs. pitfalls) based on our clinical and public health experience, particularly as they related to Borrelia burgdorferi, a vector-borne pathogen, Treponema pallidum, a re-emerging sexually transmitted global pathogen, and West Nile virus, a newly recognized virus in North America.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-695X.2006.00191.x | DOI Listing |
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