Introduction to Our Infectious Diseases Special Feature

Infectious disease testing is a hot topic in healthcare and has evolved dramatically over the last decade
Image: Shutterstock/Anyaivanova

Even if you don’t work directly in the field of infectious diseases, the chances are, as a healthcare professional, you are involved in the testing of these diseases in some way. You will almost certainly, also be aware of some of the major public health issues involving infectious pathogens.

From field testing of malaria, Zika and Ebola, to routine laboratory testing of influenza, septicaemia and STI’s; over the last few years, infectious disease testing has become one of the hottest and most important topics in healthcare.

The evolving need for new tests

Every now and then, a serious infectious disease outbreak requires the clinical industry to mobilize and quickly develop new tests. The most recent examples of this include the Ebola and Zika viruses. Zika has made headlines around the World recently, as the neurological impact of this virus on unborn babies has emerged as a major healthcare crisis. Serological tests are vital for diagnosing acute infections as well as for disease surveillance, and diagnostic companies have been working hard to provide accurate tests for this disease.

The healthcare community has moved quickly to face this threat and Quest Diagnostics recently announced that it is the first commercial lab to be able to perform Zika virus testing.

You can find detailed information on the serological testing of Zika at this address: http://www.zika-diagnostics.com/.

The mosquito borne Zika virus, is one of healthcare's most recent challenges involving infectious diseases

Increased testing requirements

In addition to tests for new outbreaks, laboratories increasingly need to be able to test larger quantities of samples, more quickly, efficiently and accurately than ever before. The development of multiplex testing has enabled laboratories to carry out multiple tests, simultaneously, on a single sample.

This ability to carry out tests on multiple analytes requires sophisticated technology and offers significant benefits to the infectious diseases field. It is not always possible to know what kind of infection a patient has, simply by carrying out a medical assessment. Multiplexing allows the clinician to test a whole panel of relevant tests (for example an STI or respiratory panel), to more quickly identify the infectious pathogen and treat it.

Modern analyzers are capable of multiplexing genetic tests for infectious diseases, not only increasing the number of tests that can be performed, but improving on specificity and accuracy too.

Find out more about STI multiplexing in this video: Randox STI Multiplex Array - Molecular Testing

Modern solutions for modern problems

By its very nature, healthcare must continually evolve, as it is faced with new and complex challenges. Nowhere is this seen more than in the field of infectious disease, where industry responses must arguably be faster and more accurate than in any other area.

Follow our Infectious Diseases Special Feature to learn more about the latest technologies and techniques in this field.