b'Benefits of culture Looking aheadMicrobial culture is the benchmark for diagnosing manyThe decision to supplement or even substitute culture with infectious diseases, particularly in areas where MDx areMDx for infectious diseases depends on several factors: immature, expensive, require laboratorians with skilledMDx performance, regulatory approvals, reimbursement, molecular techniques, and produce positive results that may beavailability and proximity of testing facilities, and awareness of clinically insignificant. MDx among clinicians and patients.Culture is crucial for determining antimicrobial susceptibility,While it may take years for more MDx to be included in the such as among patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosisofficial clinical management guidelines, the ongoing pandemic of infections and pregnant women with penicillin allergy havingcoronavirus and the outbreaks of monkeypox have highlighted a Group B Streptococcus colonization [21,22]. Besidesthe importance of MDx. Laboratories newly equipped with antimicrobial susceptibility data, culture may also be needed forMDx infrastructure from recent events may therefore be in an molecular subtyping. Such information is important in identifyingadvantageous position to expand testing menus to include antibiotic resistance, tracking outbreaks, and monitoringinfectious diseases beyond SARS-CoV-2.disease trends [13].For public health surveillance, the CDC encourages laboratories to use reflex cultureculturing specimens with positive CIDT resultsfor bacteria of public health importance, such as Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Shiga toxinproducing Escherichia coli, Vibrio, and Yersinia infections [10-13]. 15 Molecular testing thermofisher.com/infectiousdisease Contents'