AN inexpensive blood test could one day tell doctors whether an infection is caused by a virus or a bacteria, and prevent unwarranted prescribing of antibiotics, researchers said last Wednesday (6). The diagnostic test, described in the peer-reviewed journal Science Translational Medicine, is being developed by the Stanford University School of Medicine in California. The new test, which is not yet on the market, works by identifying seven human genes whose activity changes during an infection. That pattern of activity can reveal whether an infection is bacterial or viral. “Many diagnostics focus on trying to find bacteria in the bloodstream,…
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