Infectious Diseases

The services of this department cover the complete range of the diagnostic microbiology of bacterial, fungal, mycobacterial and parasitological infections and a limited range of viral antigen detections.

The traditional multistep methods, procedures, and approaches used for the laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases are being replaced by more rapid and accurate tests according to the rapidity and extent continuous change in methods in the last decade. Molecular diagnostics and other nonculture methods will significantly alter the practice of clinical microbiology over the next decade.

Bacteriology and Mycology combine automated and basic culture methods with rapid automated identification and susceptibility testing as applicable in antimicrobial susceptibility batteries or for drugs of special request. Antigen detection with enzyme immunoassays are done for toxins and some pathogens from human fecal specimens. For Chlamydia trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae antigen detection nucleic acid amplification techniques are used.