AN inexpensive blood test could one day tell doctors whether an infection is caused by a virus or a bacteria, and prevent unwarranted prescribing of antibiotics, researchers said last Wednesday (6).
The diagnostic test, described in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine, is being developed by the Stanford University School of Medicine in California.
The new test, which is not yet on the market, works by identifying seven human genes whose activity changes during an infection. That pattern of activity can reveal whether an infection is bacterial or viral.
“Many diagnostics focus on trying to find bacteria in the bloodstream, but most infected people don’t have bloodstream infections, meaning such tests aren’t helpful,” said lead author Timothy Sweeney, an engineering research associate with the Stanford Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection.
“In contrast, our test can detect an infection anywhere in the body by ‘reading the immune system,’” he added.
If further tests show that it works and is cost-effective, the test could be a useful tool in preventing the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens.
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