Molecular tools for the detection and characterization of bacterial infections: A review

Bacterial infections, especially drug-resistant infections, continue to cause public health problems. While culture methods currently serve as the reference methods for detecting and charcterizing most bacterial and characterizing most bacterial infections, new molecular techniques provide the means for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of pathogenic bacteria. Previoulsy, molecular detection of bacteria focused on difficult-to-culture or slow-growing bacteria; however,with the advent of more robust instrument, molecular assays are used to identify, detect and track the epidemioly of drug-resistant bacteria and hospital acquired bacteria. This review discusses select necleic acid test (NATs), nucleic amplification tests (NAATs) and their applications for detecting and charterizing bacterial pathogens.