Patogentest

Patogentest refers to any test designed to detect the presence of a pathogen in a sample. It covers a range of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, and is used in clinical, environmental, food safety, and agricultural contexts.

Technologies used in patogentests include culture-based methods that allow growth and identification of organisms; molecular assays such as PCR and qPCR to detect pathogen genetic material; antigen detection assays (including rapid lateral flow tests); serological assays to detect host antibodies; and sequencing-based approaches for typing and discovery.

In clinical settings patogentests support diagnosis, treatment decisions, and infection control. In public health, they underpin surveillance, outbreak investigation, and vaccination strategies. In industry and environmental monitoring, they help ensure food and water safety and assess contamination.

Performance characteristics include analytical sensitivity and specificity, limit of detection, and potential cross-reactivity. Positive and negative predictive values depend on disease prevalence and pre-test probability. Results are influenced by specimen type, collection timing, storage, and laboratory quality control and regulatory compliance.

Common challenges include false positives and negatives, biosafety and biosecurity considerations, cost and access, standardization across platforms, and interpretation of complex results in diverse settings.