Affiliations 

  • 1 Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Penang, Malaysia
  • 2 Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Penang, Malaysia. rahmah8485@gmail.com
Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 2020 Jan;39(1):19-30.
PMID: 31428897 DOI: 10.1007/s10096-019-03680-2

Abstract

Infection by Toxoplasma gondii is prevalent worldwide. The parasite can infect a broad spectrum of vertebrate hosts, but infection of fetuses and immunocompromised patients is of particular concern. Easy-to-perform, robust, and highly sensitive and specific methods to detect Toxoplasma infection are important for the treatment and management of patients. Rapid diagnostic methods that do not sacrifice the accuracy of the assay and give reproducible results in a short time are highly desirable. In this context, rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), especially with point-of-care (POC) features, are promising diagnostic methods in clinical microbiology laboratories, especially in areas with minimal laboratory facilities. More advanced methods using microfluidics and sensor technology will be the future trend. In this review, we discuss serological and molecular-based rapid diagnostic tests for detecting Toxoplasma infection in humans as well as animals.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.