CASE HISTORY
A 55-year-old man complaining of headache,high fever,and neck stiffness was admitted to a local hospital.The man appeared confused and disoriented.He also complained of muscle weakness.History indicated that he had received several mosquito bites approximately two weeks earlier.CSF and blood specimens were sent to the laboratory.The report the next day indicated no bacterial infection,but real-time PCR tests for various possible viral causes revealed that the patient was suffering from West Nile virus.
This patient is almost certainly pleased that his medical team made use of real-time PCR in the diagnostic process;however,PCR is not an automatic diagnostic for all potential causes of disease.Discuss why PCR cannot be used as the exclusive diagnostic method for patients presenting with symptoms similar to this patient's.

Question

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The Answer of CASE HISTORY
A 55-year-old man complaining of headache,high fever,and neck stiffness was admitted to a local hospital.The man appeared confused and disoriented.He also complained of muscle weakness.History indicated that he had received several mosquito bites approximately two weeks earlier.CSF and blood specimens were sent to the laboratory.The report the next day indicated no bacterial infection,but real-time PCR tests for various possible viral causes revealed that the patient was suffering from West Nile virus.
This patient is almost certainly pleased that his medical team made use of real-time PCR in the diagnostic process;however,PCR is not an automatic diagnostic for all potential causes of disease.Discuss why PCR cannot be used as the exclusive diagnostic method for patients presenting with symptoms similar to this patient's.

CASE HISTORY A 55-Year-Old Man Complaining of Headache,high Fever,and Neck Stiffness Was