Diagnostic testing for infectious disease
Overview of laboratory services
An "infection" refers to the active or passive invasion and subsequent proliferation of pathogens in the body. These pathogens may be bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites. They may trigger a defensive immune system reaction leading to the formation of specific antibodies or defensive cells. The evidence of infection may be provided by direct evidence of the pathogen (bacterial culture, PCR, antigen detection), or indirectly via the induced physical immune response (antibody detection, cell function tests).
