Public health impacts of culture independent diagnostic testing in Australia

Abstract

Culture independent diagnostic tests (CIDT) for detection of pathogens in clinical specimens have become widely adopted in Australian pathology laboratories. Pathology laboratories are the primary source of notification of pathogens to state and territory surveillance systems. Monitoring and analysis of surveillance data is integral to guiding public health actions to reduce the incidence of disease and respond to outbreaks. As with any change in testing protocol, the advantages and disadvantages of the change from culture based testing to culture independent testing need to be weighed up and the impact on surveillance and outbreak detection assessed. This article discusses the effect of this change in testing on surveillance and public health management of pathogens in Australia, with specific focus on gastrointestinal pathogens.