CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES

Bacteriology
- Techniques for the direct diagnosis of bacterial infections: microscopic examination, cultural examination, identification, antigen detection (agglutination, immunochromatographic, enzyme-linked immunosorbent, immunofluorescence assays), nucleic acid detection (PCR, nPCR, real-time PCR, RFLP-PCR, LAMP in situ-hybridization.
- In vitro antibacterial susceptibility testing.
- Techniques for the indirect diagnosis of bacterial infections: antibody detection byimmunoenzymatic assay, western blotting, flocculation, agglutination, immunofluorescence and immunodiffusion assays.

Micology
- Laboratory diagnosis of mycoses: microscopic and cultural examinations. Procedures for identification of yeasts and moulds. Molecular biology approaches. Serological procedures.
Methods for antifungal susceptibility testing.

Parasitology
- Principles of the laboratory diagnosis of infections with Trichomonas vaginalis and free-living amoebae.
- Principles of laboratory diagnosis of infestation:
Cestodes(Diphyllobothrium latum, Taenia solium, Taenia saginata, Echinococcus), nematodes (Ascaris lumbricoides, Strongyloides stercoralis, Enterobius vermicularis, Trichinella spiralis), trematodes (Schistosomes).

Virology
- Techniques for preparing clinical samples for virological investigations.
- Techniques for electron microscopy, cell culture (rapid and conventional methods), identification of cytopathogenic agents, antigen detection (agglutination test, immunochromatographic, enzyme immunoassay -E.I.A., E.L.F.A, immunofluorescence) nucleic acid detection (PCR, nPCR and real time PCR), antibody detection (E.I.A., E.L.F.A., emoagglutination, immunofluorescence, western blotting, immunoblotting) for the laboratory diagnosis of the major viral infections of enteric tract (due to rotavirus, norovirus, adenovirus, enterovirus), respiratory tract (due to influenza, parainfluenza, respiratory sincytial viruses, adenovirus, bocavirus, metapneumovirus, cytomegalovirus), uro-genital tract (due to adenovirus, BK virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, papillomavirus), skin and mucous membranes (due to enterovirus, herpes simplex virus, human herpesvirus 6, human herpesvirus 8, measles virus, papillomavirus, parvovirus B19, rubella virus, varicella/zoster virus), liver (due to hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses), eyes (due to adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, varicella/zoster virus), lymphoid and hematopoietic systems (due to adenovirus, BK virus, herpesviruses, human immunodeficiency virus, JC virus, parvovirus B19), nervous system (due to adenovirus, enterovirus, herpesviruses, JC virus, measles virus, rubella virus, parvovirus B19, Toscana virus)and of congenital, connatal and perinatal infections (due to cytomegalovirus, rubella virus, varicella/zoster virus, parvovirus, herpes simplex virus, hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus, papillomavirus, enterovirus) and arbovirus infections (due to Chikungunya, Dengue, West Nile, Toscana viruses).