Infectious Serology in Total Laboratory Automation: Fit or Unfit

Several parameters of infectious serology are increasingly being incorporated into workflows of total laboratory automation (TLA). Infectious serology is not a well-defined field, with each parameter having its own requirement for reporting. The unavailability of uniform international standards further complicates quality control (QC). Infectious serology in total laboratory automation offers opportunities like integration of laboratory services, auto-verification, re-run, and reflex add-on testing. But questionable application of standard QC procedures like Westgard rules, unavailability of international standards, biological variability of pathogens, and host immune response remain challenges that require urgent solutions.