Rapid laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases.

The countercurrent immunoelectrophoresis and latex particle agglutination tests are rapid, do not require expensive apparatus, and are easy to perform if specific antigens and antisera are available. Both tests have been shown to be of value in the diagnosis of bacterial infections (such as those caused by H. influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and group B streptococcus) and of viral infections (HRVLA and hepatitis B); they may also be of value in fungal and parasitic infections. Etiologic diagnosis of commonly seen clinical conditions (such as pneumonia, meningitis, cellulitis, osteomyelitis, lymphadenitis, and arthritis) by practicing physicians can be made using these tests to detect antigens in various body fluids in a hospital laboratory.