A METHOD OF DETECTION OF INFECTION BY TESTING OF BODY FLUID MUCOPOLYSACHARIDE DEGRADING ENZYMES

An in vitro method of diagnosing viral and bacterial infections for use in human and veterinary medicine. The method is based on the appearance of mucopolysaccharide degrading enzymes (MPDE) in body fluids in consequence of an infection. Use is made of the capability of MPDE to degrade certain substrates for visual detection based on a color reaction with either intact MPDE or degradation product thereof. A viral infection gives rise to the formation of MPDE by the subject's body and in consequence the amount of indegenous is increased in such body fluids in which it also existed normally or is formed in body fluids in which it does not exist normally. In case of non-viral infections, the pathogens geneate their own MPDE which is different from the indegenous one and use can be made of this feature for distinguishing between viral and other infections. It is also possible to differentiate between different viral and different non-viral infections with the aid of charts of color patterns. For the detection of non-viral diseases, a growth medium is preferably incorporated in the matrix. There are also provided matrices and kits for the performance of the method.