Telemicrobiology in Humanitarian Crises

The occurrence of difficult-to-control epidemics of infections is a major threat in Syria (1). The concern involves both hospital-acquired Gram-negative bacterial infections (2, 3), and community-acquired infections (such as polio, measles, tuberculosis, hepatitis, leishmaniosis) (4). Maintaining appropriate clinical diagnostic services is usually a neglected aspect in war-affected countries. The extreme shortage of skilled laboratory doctors and technicians is a key factor behind this problem.