NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Identifying the cause of febrile illnesses can be a challenge, particularly in some tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world where patients can be exposed to different pathogens whose symptoms mimic each other.

To help address this, researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have been developing a single-reaction multiplex PCR assay that can detect and differentiate the causative agents of dengue fever, leptospirosis, and malaria — three pathogens endemic to such regions.