Section 5 : Viral Diagnosis

Abstract:

This section talks about viral diagnosis. Viral infections have historically been diagnosed by culture in primary or continuous cell lines and by detection of antibody responses to infection. This has changed in recent years. Traditional cell cultures in glass test tubes or plastic petri dishes have been replaced in many laboratories by the shell vial culture method. Antigen capture immunoassays, which allow for the direct detection of viruses in clinical specimens, have also been developed. The section summarizes the tests currently available for the laboratory diagnosis of the most common viral infections. Table 5.1 lists the detection methods for viruses. Table 5.2 presents cells used for viral isolation. Specific diagnostic tests were performed for RNA viruses which include alphavirus, arenavirus, astrovirus, calicivirus, and rotavirus and DNA viruses that include adenovirus, cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Table 5.3 includes EBV serologic profiles under different conditions. Table 5.4 offers Hepatitis B virus markers in different stages of infection and convalescence. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies diagnosis is based on clinical history, and histopathologic examination of brain tissues diagnosis has also been made on the basis of examination of tonsillar and appendix biopsy specimens.