Medical Microbiology - Mycology
Synopsis
Medical microbiology is a sub discipline of microbiology dealing with the study of microorganisms (parasites, fungi, bacteria, & viruses) capable of infecting and causing diseases in humans, as with other specialties in medicine, the evolution of medical microbiology is essentially a response to clinical needs. The true burden of fungal infections particularly in resource-limited countries is thus unknown. Without such baseline information, it is difficult to assess the impact that such infections may have on the health of the population and to develop strategies for their control. There is thus a great need for tools that can enhance capacity for the diagnosis and control of fungal diseases. Laboratory diagnosis of fungal infections remains challenging, as it is a neglected field in most diagnostic centres in the developing world. Initial microscopic examination of clinical specimens for the presence of fungal elements followed by growth and eventual identification of isolates up to genus and species levels are very basic and important services must provide by any clinical microbiology laboratory. These services have considerable impact on selection of appropriate antifungal therapy and ultimate reduction in morbidity and mortality.
