Revision as of 03:01, 14 September 2015

Current Disease Detection Methods:
Technological advancements in serological and molecular laboratory techniques have reduced the time and effort required to test for high profile diseases such as malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as neglected tropical diseases such as trypanosomiasis (chagas disease), dengue fever, and cysticercosis.

Immunofluorescence Antibody Assay (IFA) and Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test (IFAT):
These tests both rely on the use of fluorescently tagged antibodies binding to targets to report antigen presence. In immunofluorescence antibody assays, a specifically chosen primary fluorescently tagged antibody binds directly to an antigen of interest1 antibody tests, a specific primary antibody is bound to a target antigen while another fluorescently tagged secondary antibody binds to the primary antibody1 fluorescent signal would suggest the binding of antibodies to their specific antigens and a diagnosis for that disease could be made.

PCR:
Currently, PCR is one of the most sensitive of the existing methods of detecting microbial pathogens². It involves DNA extraction from specimens, PCR amplification, and detection of amplicons². This method of disease detection is particularly useful when pathogens are difficult to culture in vitro or require a long cultivation period². However, there are also several downfalls to using PCR. For example, PCR is susceptible to inhibitors and contamination². Additionally, PCR is based on DNA amplification, meaning false-positive or false-negative outcomes can easily occur². Experimental conditions, such as contamination of reagents, pipettes, and laboratory surfaces can also result in false-positive outcomes². Thus, PCR as a method of disease detection must be performed in controlled environments and conditions.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA):
Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays are a common procedure used to detect specific antigens or antibodies not only to determine if they are present or not, but also the relative quantity present³. ELISAs are based on an enzyme-mediated color change, which indicates the presence of a specific antigen³. This method of disease detection is useful because in kits, it can be portable, easy to use, and inexpensive, meaning it could be ideal for large population screening or in low-resource settings³. However, ELISAs have some downfalls. For example, the enzyme-mediated color change continues to react over time, so the color strength could inaccurately display the amount of primary antibody present³. Further, nonspecific binding of antibody to the plate can lead to an atypically high positive result³.