Molecular tests and antibiotic resistance detection sorely needed
If you haven’t brushed up on emerging trends in sexually transmitted infections lately, don’t miss this MLO article from our own Anjana Bhattacharya. As she points out, “The landscape of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has been shifting rapidly in recent years, with prevalence rates of certain STIs climbing and new diseases taking a toll.”
These changes have put even more pressure on clinical labs, which must adapt to new and re-emerging STIs even as asymptomatic cases make it very difficult to diagnose infections. “Diagnostic difficulties are compounded further due to the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistance, with STIs like N. gonorrhoeae and M. genitalium evolving into STI ‘superbugs,'” Bhattacharya writes.
Trends in Molecular Detection for STIs
The article covers trends in molecular detection and antibiotic resistance identification for STIs. For example, molecular diagnostics offer much higher sensitivity for detecting the chronically underdiagnosed trichomoniasis, while lab-developed tests have made it possible to detect M. genitalium, which was never suitable for culture-based testing. On the antibiotic resistance front, molecular testing is making it possible to identify resistance markers quickly so patients can be given the treatment most likely to be effective. Bhattacharya cites a study from the University of California, Los Angeles, that used “a rapid genotyping assay to predict whether N. gonorrhoeae strains were susceptible or resistant to ciprofloxacin. The study led to reduced reliance on broad-spectrum antibiotics and increased use of more targeted therapies that led to improved patient outcomes.”
“Even when they are not antibiotic-resistant, STIs represent an urgent area of clinical and diagnostic need,” Bhattacharya concludes, predicting that improvements in molecular testing will “provide reliable results for an increasing number of sexually transmitted pathogens with faster turnaround times and more robust workflows.”
Read the full MLO Article at https://www.mlo-online.com/emerging-pathogens-antibiotic-resistance-make-stis-urgent-challenge.
Learn more about our complete Women’s Health molecular diagnostics portfolio, including the ARIES® GBS and ARIES® HSV 1&2 assays.
