Description
Pneumocystis jirovecii is a pathogen that can cause life-threatening Pneumocystis pneumonia (also known by the moniker PCP). This illness is especially dangerous for immunocompromised patients. Key symptoms of PCP infection include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
Deborah Blue, MD, MT(ASCP) specializes in molecular diagnostics, medical microbiology, laboratory testing, and clinical pathology. She has authored more than 50 publications as she regularly contributes to ongoing research.
In this lecture, Dr. Blue presents the background of Pneumocystis jirovecii, the patients who are most at risk to become infected, symptoms, and preventative strategies. Dr. Blue also covers laboratory diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii, which includes diagnosis through the PCR assay developed by MiraVista Diagnostics.