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Diagnosis of Infection
Abstract
With the advent of effective vaccination strategies, life-threatening Haemophilus influenzae infections are now rare in developed countries (1). However, H. influenzae can still cause infection at a variety of anatomical sites, especially the upper and the lower airway. For this reason, adequate diagnosis of H. influenzae infections remains important. Classical microbiological diagnosis relies on growth on blood-based agar media, including chocolate agar or brain heart infusion (BHI) agar supplemented with Levinthals blood, hemoglobin, or hemin. In addition, H. influenzae can be distinguished from its closest relatives because it is incapable of producing porphyrin (2). Modern developments allow for testing without a cultivation step. The most direct and simple way of detection and identification without culture is provided by commercially available latex agglutination tests (2). Antibody-coated latex particles are mixed directly with clinical samples and agglutinate if H. influenzae is present. Sophisticated means for direct H. influenzae detection and identification are now available in the medical microbiology laboratory, including immunological and molecular methods. They include specific DNA probing and ultrasensitive nucleic acid amplification. This chapter surveys several of the more frequently applied culture-based, immunological and molecular approaches to diagnosis.
Affiliation(s): (2) Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam EMCR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
(3) National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Laboratory of Vaccine Research, Anthonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Series: Methods in Molecular Medicine  |  Volume: 71  |  Pub. Date: Sep-25-2002  |  Page Range: 71-92  |  DOI: 10.1385/1-59259-321-6:71
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