The article calls out two problems that are compromising the ability to detect drug resistant pathogens.
Drug-Resistant 'Superbugs' Go Undetected
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=drug-resistant-superbugs-undectected
Excerpt:
...some researchers think that poor training has left microbiologists unaware of how best to interpret test results. Kenneth Thomson, director of the Center for Research in Anti-infectives and Biotechnology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, says that an ongoing "de-skilling" of microbiology laboratories in Europe and the United States is problematic. He says that lab directors with PhDs are not being replaced when they leave, and that budget constraints are cutting continuing education for laboratory staff.
- de-skilling of microbiology labs
- proprietary lab kits whose constituents are kept secret, from the lab workers who use them, to protect manufacturers profits
Drug-Resistant 'Superbugs' Go Undetected
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=drug-resistant-superbugs-undectected
Excerpt:
...some researchers think that poor training has left microbiologists unaware of how best to interpret test results. Kenneth Thomson, director of the Center for Research in Anti-infectives and Biotechnology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, says that an ongoing "de-skilling" of microbiology laboratories in Europe and the United States is problematic. He says that lab directors with PhDs are not being replaced when they leave, and that budget constraints are cutting continuing education for laboratory staff.
