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 method for detecting and characterizing most bacterial infections, new molecular techniques provide the means for rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of pathogenic bacteria. Previously, molecular detection of bacteria focused on difficult-to-culture or slow-growing bacteria; however, with the advent of more robust instrumentation, molecular assays are used to identify, detect, and track the epidemiology of drug-resistant bacteria and hospital-acquired bacteria. This review discusses select nucleic acid tests (NATs), nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), and their applications for detecting and characterizing bacterial pathogens.