VIROLOGY ARTICLES

With increasing travel post-COVID-19 coupled with a warming planet, tropical diseases and the viruses that cause them are closer to UK shores than ever. Dr Neil Bentley looks at the increasing prevalence and spread of dengue fever and the barriers to correct diagnosis.

A recently published report into the HIV rapid diagnostic test market landscape, produced in coordination with the World Health Organization, aims for a healthier, more sustainable market. Here, Pathology in Practice presents a summary of the report, including the current state of HIV testing and aims for the near future.

Over the last few years, we’ve all witnessed the toll that overwhelming caseloads of COVID-19, influenza A/B and RSV testing can have on healthcare settings. The resulting push for more accurate and discriminatory methods to aid the management of patients presenting with respiratory and/or flu-like symptoms has highlighted the importance of developing a test panel that is both efficient and clinically relevant, says Dr Andrew Birnie.

Royal Derby Hospital operates robust point-of-care testing as part of its virus management programme, and implementation of year-round respiratory syncytial virus testing last year resulted in the discovery of an unexpected summer surge in cases, as Yusuf Gray explains.

The North East Innovation Lab works to assess and accelerate the development of new diagnostic tests. Pathology in Practice looks at the support it provided to a study assessing the use of synthetic polymer antibodies in a new test for SARS-CoV-2.

A specialist NHS laboratory, hosted by Newcastle Hospitals, is helping to accelerate the development of new, cutting-edge COVID-19 tests, as well as technologies that could give an early warning of virus threats.

Pathology services continue to face challenges to detect the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Here, Sarah Pitt provides a further update on the virology, epidemiology, testing and treatment of this mutating agent of pandemic disease.

As a result of continued research and development, the incidence of death from cancers caused by human papillomavirus infection is falling. Here, Neil Bentley provides an overview and looks at the impact of screening and diagnostic testing.