Gastrointestinal Infections

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Eileen Burd, Emory University; Benjamin Hinrichs, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2015-05-19
• Publisher: Springer Link
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19674-9_50
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Molecular Pathology in Clinical Practice
• Start Page: 707
• End Page: 734
• Grant/Funding Information: None declared
• Keywords: bacterial gastroenteritis; diarrhea; ingectious gastroenteritis; gastrointestinal pathogens panel; polymerase chain reaction; laboratory diagnosis; viral gastroenteritis; parasitic gastroenteritis
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Public Health; Health Sciences, Pathology; Biology, Microbiology; Biology, Molecular

Abstract

Establishing a specific etiology for gastrointestinal infections can be challenging because of the common clinical features and wide variety of causative microorganisms. In many cases, the etiologic agent cannot be determined using traditional diagnostic methods and may result in unnecessary antibiotic use or prolonged periods of illness. Molecular tests provide many advantages over traditional laboratory methods but, with the exception of a few analytes, are still largely in the developmental phase for gastrointestinal pathogens and are not widely used. The main advantages of molecular tests include increased sensitivity and the ability to detect agents which will not grow in culture. To test for all possible gastrointestinal pathogens at one time would require a large panel that would include a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic agents. Challenges inherent in developing diagnostic molecular panels include ensuring that all variants of a particular microorganism can be detected as well as the rapid evolution of pathogens. In this chapter, the diagnostic merit of molecular tests as well as available tests will be presented for the major groups of gastrointestinal pathogens.