Bacterial and viral infections are often clinically indistinguishable, leading to inappropriate patient management and antibiotic misuse. Bacterial-induced host proteins such as procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and Interleukin-6, are routinely used to support a diagnosis of infection. However, their performance is negatively affected by inter-patient variability, including time from symptom onset, clinical syndrome, and pathogens.
Current Challenge A major cause of antibiotic overuse and underuse is the difficulty of distinguishing between bacterial and non-bacterial (mostly viral) etiologies. While routinely used microbiological diagnostic tests such as culture, serology, and nucleic acid based tests can assist the clinician in the etiological determination of the underlying infectious process, several challenges remain. These includes: Pathogen detection in cases where the…
