Molecular pathology – diagnosis of infectious disease

Abstract

The traditional method of identifying a pathogen by culturing it is a key element in forging the causal link between a particular disease and a specific microorganism. However, many kinds of infectious agents, including mycobacteria, fungi, and viruses, either are fastidious and grow slowly or cannot be cultured. In these instances, serologic or histologic methods may identify the infectious agent. Nevertheless, these methods usually yield only circumstantial evidence of infection. Pathologists now have highly sensitive, rapid, and specific molecular methods of identifying infectious agents by the direct detection of DNA or RNA sequences unique to a particular organism. These advances . . .

Part of CIRS Nexus · Curated by Lauren Lowenstein, The Biotoxin Lady