ABSTRACT
Major dynamic advances are occurring in all fields of science and technology, including the emergence of many new and exciting viral diagnostic assay systems. The application of molecular diagnostic assays in the last two decades, the impact of information technology on laboratory information management, and the availability of commercial antigen detection kits have been extremely helpful for the rapid diagnosis of viral infections. The new frontier in diagnostic assays may be the application of nanotechnology in clinical samples. Nanotechnology assay systems combine extremely sensitive detector signals with the high specificity of immunological reactions, with or without the need for virus isolation. Currently, the potential of nanotechnology in diagnostic virology is being vigorously explored. However, in the meantime, conventional viral antigen detection systems play a major role in the clinical management of patients (1–6).
