title: Microbiological laboratory diagnostics of neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs).
abstract: This review reports on laboratory diagnostic approaches for selected, highly pathogenic neglected zoonotic diseases, i.e. anthrax, bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, echinococcosis, leishmaniasis, rabies, Taenia solium-associated diseases (neuro-/cysticercosis & taeniasis) and trypanosomiasis. Diagnostic options, including microscopy, culture, matrix-assisted laser-desorption-ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry, molecular approaches and serology are introduced. These procedures are critically discussed regarding their diagnostic reliability and state of evaluation. For rare diseases reliable evaluation data are scarce due to the rarity of samples. If bio-safety level 3 is required for cultural growth, but such high standards of laboratory infrastructure are not available, serological and molecular approaches from inactivated sample material might be alternatives. Multiple subsequent testing using various test platforms in a stepwise approach may improve sensitivity and specificity. Cheap and easy to use tests, usually called "rapid diagnostic tests" (RDTs) may impact disease control measures, but should not preclude developing countries from state of the art diagnostics.
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht street 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: schwarznorbert@bnitm.de.
authors.forename: Norbert Georg
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Centre, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany. Electronic address: ulrike.loderstaedt@med.uni-goettingen.de.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Loderstaedt
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht street 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: hahn@bnitm.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine at the Bernhard Nocht Institute, German Armed Forces Hospital of Hamburg, Bernhard Nocht street 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: hinz@bnitm.de.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hinz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Centre, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany; Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Medical Centre, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany. Electronic address: azautne@gwdg.de.
authors.forename: Andreas Erich
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Zautner
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Bernhard Nocht street 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: eibach@bnitm.de.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Eibach
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine at the Bernhard Nocht Institute, German Armed Forces Hospital of Hamburg, Bernhard Nocht street 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: marcellusfischer@bundeswehr.org.
authors.forename: Marcellus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine at the Bernhard Nocht Institute, German Armed Forces Hospital of Hamburg, Bernhard Nocht street 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: hagen@bnitm.de.
authors.forename: Ralf Matthias
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.affiliation: Department of Tropical Medicine at the Bernhard Nocht Institute, German Armed Forces Hospital of Hamburg, Bernhard Nocht street 74, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany; Institute for Microbiology, Virology and Hygiene, University Medicine Rostock, D-18057 Rostock, Germany. Electronic address: Frickmann@bni-hamburg.de.
authors.forename: Hagen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frickmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012698:Serologic Tests; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: Culture; Diagnostic; Laboratory; Molecular diagnosis; NZD; Neglected tropical disease; Neglected zoonotic disease; PCR; Reliability; Sensitivity; Serology; Specificity