The Effectiveness of Modern Detection Methods in the Diagnosis of Pathogenic Intestinal Infections and the Prospects for their Improvement

Infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in children in developing countries. A wide range of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasites can cause diarrhea and other intestinal infections. These infections are usually diagnosed by inoculation, microscopy, and immunoassay with antigen detection. Cultivation and microscopy are procedures that are insufficiently sensitive, time—consuming and require special laboratory equipment and well-trained personnel. However, newer methods of rapid antigen detection and molecular methods are constantly replacing traditional diagnostic methods due to advances in molecular diagnostics and the advent of tests that can be purchased. This review summarizes and discusses the availability, advantages and disadvantages of molecular methods for the detection and identification of human gastrointestinal pathogens. We will look at the advantages and disadvantages of direct and indirect methods of detecting parasites here. Many tests give false positive or false negative results. The tests available for use vary in sensitivity and specificity. Thus, tests for the presence of the pathogen should be carried out, especially in doubtful cases, using all available methods. The methods used should make it possible to distinguish an active infection from one suffered in the past. Finally, we will look at laboratory "case reports" in which we will discuss diagnostic methods that can successfully detect parasites. We will also talk about the possibilities of using artificial intelligence to improve the diagnosis of parasitic diseases.