Clinical and Laboratory Diagnosis of Human Respiratory Viral Infections

Abstract

This chapter presents clinical and laboratory approaches to the diagnosis of respiratory viruses, in particular specimen collection and detection methods are revised and discussed taking into account performance and limitations. Respiratory viral infections play a relevant role in human diseases and have a major impact on health with direct and indirect costs. The diagnostic approaches to respiratory viral infections have evolved substantially in the last decades. Acute respiratory illnesses are mostly caused by viral pathogens and represent the most common disease experienced by otherwise healthy children and adults worldwide, irrespective of any other demographic characteristic. Clinical presentation of respiratory viral infections is greatly overlapping among those caused by different viruses. An accurate diagnosis of respiratory viral infections must take into account the clinical appropriateness, the performance characteristics, the costs, and the need for quality, efficiency, and efficacy.