Overview
Virology is a specialist discipline in Medical Laboratory Science. Diagnostic virology laboratories are responsible for the detection and identification of viruses in clinical samples. As well as assisting clinicians to make correct diagnoses, the virology laboratory gathers information which can be used for infectious disease surveillance purposes.
Many different viruses can infect humans; some important ones are influenza virus, human immunodeficiency virus, norovirus and rotavirus.
The distinction between bacterial and viral infections is an important one because the antimicrobial treatments are different, so the diagnostic virology laboratory fulfils an important role in guiding clinicians to the correct type of treatment.
Methods of isolating viruses
Traditional methods of isolating viruses from clinical samples through the use of human and animal tissue culture cell lines are gradually giving way to modern nucleic acid techniques, so that the polymerase chain reaction is now important in viral diagnostics.
Other methods that are used include antigen detection tests, where components of a virus are detected in a clinical sample.
Enzyme immunoassays (EIA) are important because these have the ability to detect viral components as well as viral antibody, which is formed in the blood in response to a viral infection.
Immunofluorescence involves the use of specific antibody bound to fluorescent dyes for the identification of viruses. New viruses are still being discovered and electron microscopy (EM) is a basic technique for visualising and describing new viruses. However, the high cost prohibits the routine use of EM in the diagnostic virology laboratory.
What you will learn
In year two of the Medical Laboratory Science course you will learn about the structure and classification of viruses, their replication cycles and methods of control, such as vaccination.
In year three, you will receive basic training in virology techniques including PCR, EIA, tissue culture, and preparation of samples for electron microscopy.
These techniques—along with lectures on specific viral pathogens—will provide the background you will need to enter the hospital diagnostic virology laboratory in the fourth year of the course.
Diagnostic virology laboratories are responsible for the detection and identification of viruses in clinical samples.
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