L7-4 Electron Microscopy: A valuable Diagnostic Tool for the Analysis of Microbial and Parasitic Diseases

The world wide spread of emerging and re-emerging infections caused by increased mobility and trade, changes in biodiversity and genetic changes of pathogens demand a global disease control based on a reliable diagnostic system. The main front-line techniques used nowadays in a cen-ter for disease control are molecularbiology, serology, virus isolation and microscopy particularly EM. Especially the combination of molecularbiology and ultrastructure improves pathogen diagnosis [1]. The use of transmis-sion electron microscopy [2,3] and to a lesser extent scanning electron microscopy provides a truly multiplex platform for the detection and dif-ferentiation of a wide range of pathogens when diagnostic kids or reagents are not available in that they are at the moment of analysis not present in the laboratory or not commercial existent. Besides, information on repli-cation patterns of novel viruses can play a substantial role in assisting the understanding of microbial and parasitic epidemiology and etiopathology. EM analysis is carried out by using negatively stained samples o