Blood Test Can Identify Whether Patient Has Bacterial Or Viral Infection

BOSTON (CBS) - Researchers at Duke Health have developed a blood test that can identify whether a sick patient has a bacterial or viral infection, and as Dr. Mallika Marshall reports, that could help doctors determine the appropriate treatment.

Scientists at Duke Health have come up with a blood test that can distinguish whether a respiratory infection is bacterial or viral.

Dr. Ephraim Tsalik, Lead Author and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Duke, says, "Bacterial infections are ones that typically are treated with antibiotics whereas viral infections like the common cold are typically treated supportively with bed rest, fluids, Tylenol."

Dr. Tsalik and his team developed what they call gene signatures or patterns that show which genes are turned on and off when a person is fighting a particular infection.

By distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections, doctors hope to cut down on the overuse of antibiotics which has led to the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

"The more antibiotics someone takes especially when they don't need them exposes them to other effects on their overall health and also puts them at higher risk of developing resistant infections later on," explains Dr. Tsalik.

So far the test is 87 percent accurate, but the results take about 10 hours.

Duke is trying to create a one-hour version that clinics can use in the next couple of years.

Researchers say their test could also help to identify specific viruses, like the common cold -- and that could prove very useful as more and more anti-viral medications expect to hit the market over the next five to ten years.