Clinical Microbiology Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product, By Application (Bloodstream, Respiratory, Gastrointestinal, Periodontal, STD, UTI), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025

Industry Insights

The global clinical microbiology market size was valued at USD 9.1 billion in 2016 and is expected to develop at a CAGR of 6.7% over the forecast period. Constantly rising incidence of infectious diseases is driving market growth.

Infectious diseases are primarily diagnosed using clinical tests. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 9,421 new cases of tuberculosis, 51,455 new cases of salmonella, 33,461 new cases of Lyme disease, and 433 new cases of meningococcal disease were registered in U.S. in 2014.

Similarly, according to the American Cancer Society, around 1,688,780 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in U.S. in 2017. Thus, high prevalence of diseases where clinical tests are used as one of the major diagnostic tools is expected to augment market growth in future. Sudden outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, and other contagious pathogens are also contributing to rising prevalence of infectious diseases.

As per an article published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, there is a shortage of trained and skilled professionals in medical and microbiological laboratories for processing and interpreting samples and specimens. Moreover, there has been a steep decline in the number of medical laboratory training programs and students graduating from such programs in U.S.

Lack of trained graduates and training programs is an issue particularly in developing countries, where demand for skilled professionals is rapidly increasing. However, entry of automated systems in the market is going to replace manually-operated conventional platforms in future, thereby reducing the impact of lack of skilled professionals.

Product Insights

Reagents accounted for the largest revenue share in the global clinical microbiology market. The segment includes products such as solutions, primers, master mixes, and kits used in various diagnostic assays. Reagents currently captures the largest revenue share, with more than 60% attributed to repeat purchase driven by need for new set of reagents for new tests.

The segment is expected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. Factors such as higher cost of specialized kits and constant repeat purchase are expected to drive the segment over the forecast period. The market is witnessing rising investments in research and development (R&D). Almost all analytical and therapeutic research projects demand reagents and chemicals, thereby driving penetration of reagents.

Laboratory instruments comprise incubators, gram strainers, bacterial colony counters, autoclave sterilizers, petri dish fillers, and culture systems. Automated culture systems dominated the global laboratory instruments segment with more than 30% share in 2016.

The microbiology analyzers segment comprises instruments used in molecular diagnostics, mass spectrometry, and microscopes. Microscopes held the largest share owing to wider applicability and rising demand. The molecular diagnostic instruments segment, on the other hand, is expected to exhibit the fastest growth rate over the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to increasing significance of molecular diagnosis in early detection of cancer and infectious diseases.

Application Insights

Increasing levels of air pollution with growing industrialization is resulting in rapid escalation in prevalence of respiratory diseases. Also, among all infections, respiratory diseases spread rapidly owing to easy transfer of contagious pathogens. Thus, the segment is expected to show significant growth over the forecast period. Furthermore, prevalence of infectious diseases is high in developed as well as developing countries.

In addition, according to a few investigations recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, chronic respiratory diseases were responsible for about 1 in 15 deaths in 2015. Approximately USD 132 billion of healthcare spending was associated with these diseases in 2013. Biopsy, blood tests, and bronchoscopy are the most commonly used diagnostic tools for respiratory diseases. Therefore, rising incidence of chronic respiratory diseases is boosting market growth. 

Regional Insights

North America accounted for the largest revenue share in 2016 and was closely followed by Europe. Highly developed industrial and healthcare sectors in U.S. are fueling adoption of advanced clinical diagnostic techniques. In addition, stringent regulatory framework and presence of leading players are augmenting regional market growth.

Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region from 2016 to 2024. Japan is one of the leading countries with strong technological developments and high usage of microbial testing for various applications. China is another significant market contributing to regional growth.

Booming medical tourism industry is expected to spur demand for microbial diagnostic and monitoring tests in Asian countries such as India, China, Thailand, and Malaysia. Furthermore, availability of skilled labor at affordable cost and advanced manufacturing infrastructure are resulting in manufacturing facilities of major pharmaceutical and medical device makers shifting to Asia. This is boosting regional market expansion.

Clinical Microbiology Market Share Insights

The market is presently dominated by a few key participants such as bioMerieux S.A.; Cepheid Inc.; Danaher Corporation; and Bruker Corporation. Other prominent players operating in the market include but are not limited to Becton Dickinson & Company; Hologic Inc.; Roche Diagnostics; and Alere Inc. Introduction of automated systems and innovative designs is expected to intensify the competition by changing market dynamics over the forecast period.

Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis on the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global clinical microbiology market report on the basis of product, application, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Laboratory Instruments

    • Incubators

    • Gram Stainers

    • Bacterial Colony Counters

    • Autoclave Sterilizers

    • Petri Dish Fillers

  • Automated Culture Systems

    • Microbiology Analyzers

    • Molecular Diagnostic Instruments

    • Microscopes

    • Mass Spectrometers

  • Reagents

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Respiratory Diseases

  • Bloodstream Infections

  • Gastrointestinal Diseases

  • Sexually Transmitted Diseases

  • Urinary Tract Infections

  • Periodontal Diseases

  • Other Diseases

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Latin America

    • Mexico

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa