COVID-19 Antigen Test- Introduction, Principle, Test Requirements, Procedure, Result Interpretation, Clinical Significance and Disadvantage

COVID-19 Antigen Test-Positive

Introduction of COVID-19 Antigen Test SARS-CoV-2 antigen test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is used as a screening test on asymptomatic persons to detect or exclude Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) or to determine whether a person who previously was diagnosed with COVID-19 …

Read more

Enterobacter cloacae complex: Introduction, Morphology, Pathogenicity, Lab Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, and Keynotes

Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) colony morphology on CLED agar

Introduction The Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC) is a group of closely related bacterial species, including Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter hormaechei, and others, that can cause a variety of infections, particularly in healthcare settings. ECC is a significant cause of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections, including bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and urinary …

Read more

Klebsiella ozaenae : Introduction, Morphology, Pathogenicity, Lab Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, and Keynotes

Klebsiella ozaenae colony morphology on CLED agar

Introduction of Klebsiella ozaenae Klebsiella pneumoniae subspecies ozaenae (Klebsiella ozaenae) is a Gram-negative bacterium (GNB), primarily associated with atrophic rhinitis (ozena), a chronic condition of the nasal cavity characterized by tissue thinning and unpleasant odor. It is also known as a normal inhabitant of the oral and …

Read more

Candida-Antibody Testing-Introduction, Principle, Purpose, Types of antibody tests, Limitation, and More

Candida albicans growth on Biphasic medium (BHI agar and broth)-right (turbid)- No growth on left (clear)

Introduction Candida antibody testing measures immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM) antibodies in the blood to help detect current or past Candida infections. These antibodies are produced in response to the presence of Candida in the body, assisting the immune system in fighting off the fungus. Principle Purpose …

Read more

Laboratory Requirements for Evaluating Mushroom Antifungal Activity against Clinical Dermatophytes

Laboratory Requirements for Evaluating Mushroom Antifungal Activity against Clinical Dermatophytes

Introduction To effectively evaluate mushrooms’ antifungal activity against clinical dermatophytes, laboratories require specialized equipment and techniques for fungal isolation, identification, and susceptibility testing. These include media for fungal culture, microscopy for morphological identification, and standardized methods like agar-based disk diffusion (ABDD) or broth microdilution for antifungal …

Read more

Biosafety Cabinet (BSC)-Introduction, Purpose and Function,  Working Mechanism, Types, and Application

Biosafety Cabinet (BSC)-Introduction, Purpose and Function,  Working Mechanism, Types, and Application

Introduction of Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) A biosafety cabinet (BSC) is a specialized enclosed, ventilated laboratory workspace that is designed for safely handling materials contaminated with pathogens or toxins. It protects the operator, the product being worked on, and the environment. BSC uses high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA)  filters to …

Read more

Direct Microscopy Examination of Clinical Samples- Introduction, Purpose and Benefits, Methods, Applications, and Limitation

Direct Microscopy Examination of Clinical Samples- Introduction, Purpose and Benefits, Methods, Applications, and Limitation

Introduction of Direct Microscopy Examination of Clinical Samples Direct microscopy examination of clinical samples, or wet mount examination, involves examining clinical specimens under a microscope without prior staining or culturing. This technique provides a rapid assessment of the presence and morphology of microbes, facilitating preliminary diagnosis and …

Read more

Aspergillus and penicillium conidia differences: Introduction, Differences, Keynotes, and Further Readings

Conidia, conidiophore, phialides, vesicle of Aspergillus

Introduction Aspergillus conidia are produced on unbranched conidiophores with a vesicle, while Penicillium conidia are produced on branched conidiophores, forming brush-like structures. Both have small conidia, but differ in color and germination patterns.  The LPCB mount shows the hallmark features of an Aspergillus conidiophore: This brush‑ or radiate‑head …

Read more