Molecular Diagnostics for Infectious Disease Markets 2027–2031

Molecular Diagnostics for Infectious Disease Markets: Market Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Technology and Policy Outlook, 2027–2031

Global forecasts by disease area, plex, technology, setting and product, for 14 countries and regions, with 38 company profiles.

See the Table of Contents. GET the Free Sample of this Report.

Many organizations subscribe to all or some of our reports. You may already have free access to this report. FIND out Here.

Our Take

Molecular infection testing is growing again after the pandemic, on a much larger installed base. Syndromic panels, fast sample-to-answer PCR near the patient, women's health testing and sequencing take the new spending, while batch laboratory PCR grows slowly. The market grows from $17,830 million in 2026 to $24,400 million in 2031, at 6.5% a year. Ownership is changing fast: Waters took over BD's diagnostics business, Hologic went private and EQT agreed to take QIAGEN private.

Market Size 2026: USD $17.83B Market Size 2031: USD $24.4B CAGR: 6.5%

Situation Analysis: what is really happening

• Panels take share. Syndromic panels of six or more targets grow 11.0% a year, from $3,476.8 million to $5,856.0 million, while singleplex tests grow 2.9% a year.
• A weak respiratory year. A mild 2025–26 season cut respiratory sales at Cepheid, bioMérieux and Roche, but testing outside respiratory kept growing.
• The industry changes hands. Waters completed its combination with BD's diagnostics business, Blackstone and TPG took Hologic private, Abbott completed its acquisition of Exact Sciences, and EQT agreed to take QIAGEN private.
• New panels beyond respiratory. The FDA cleared new gastrointestinal, bloodstream infection and vaginitis panels from Cepheid, QIAGEN, DiaSorin and Roche. Bloodstream and sepsis testing is the fastest-growing disease area at 9.2% a year.
• Testing moves closer to the patient. Point-of-care testing grows 10.9% a year, and the FDA cleared Visby Medical's at-home flu and COVID-19 PCR test.
• Funding and rules shift. COVID-19 emergency use authorisations end on 26 December 2026, and PEPFAR cuts reduced HIV viral load testing in several countries.

Company Analysis: who is positioned, who is exposed

• Roche and Hologic: Lead high-throughput lab PCR for viral load, blood screening and women's health; Hologic is now privately owned.
• Cepheid (Danaher) and bioMérieux: Lead sample-to-answer and syndromic testing, but felt the weak respiratory season most.
• Abbott, QIAGEN and DiaSorin: Broad molecular menus, with new QIAstat-Dx and LIAISON PLEX panel clearances; QIAGEN is heading for private ownership.
• Waters (formerly BD Diagnostic Solutions): Owns BD MAX, BD COR and Onclarity HPV after February 2026.
• Visby Medical, Karius, Illumina and Oxford Nanopore: Bring home PCR, metagenomics and sequencing to infection testing.
• Seegene, Sansure, SD Biosensor and Molbio: Asian suppliers facing price reform in China and growing in emerging markets.

In all, 38 company profiles, each one to two pages with a fact box covering website, headquarters, ownership, revenue, employees and key products.

Questions this report answers

• How fast will syndromic panels and sample-to-answer PCR replace batch laboratory testing?
• Which disease areas will add the most new testing, and why?
• What do the Hologic, BD and QIAGEN ownership changes mean for competition?
• How will the end of COVID-19 emergency authorisations and new FDA clearances change the market?
• What do PEPFAR and Global Fund changes mean for HIV viral load testing?
• How large is each country market, and how fast is China growing?

What's inside

• 285 pages, 23 chapters, 59 tables and 51 figures
• Forecasts for 2027–2031 from a 2026 base year, by disease area, plex, technology, setting and product, for 14 countries and regions
• Respiratory and syndromic testing, STI and women's health, blood-borne viruses and blood screening, and gastrointestinal, sepsis, transplant and CNS testing
• Technology, regulation, reimbursement and policy, and China, Asia-Pacific and emerging markets
• 10 market-moving developments from 2025 and 2026, SWOT, Porter's Five Forces and strategic recommendations
• 38 company profiles
• Download the Table of Contents (PDF)

Who buys this report

• Diagnostic companies and business development teams: size each disease area and technology and track the ownership changes.
• Laboratory and hospital leaders: plan the move to panels and near-patient PCR.
• Investors and analysts: model the post-pandemic market and the take-privates.
• Public health programmes: plan viral load, blood screening and surveillance testing.

Use independent research that makes you the expert. Your credit card order sends the report to your inbox instantly. Check all your licensing options, but don't worry: your order is available as a credit if you wish to upgrade.

See the Table of Contents. GET the Free Sample of this Report.

ABOUT THE LEAD AUTHOR

Mr. Greg Powell, B.Sc., M.B.A., is the President of Howe Sound Research. His education includes:

Finance for Senior Executives - Harvard Business School

Market Research - Burke Institute

M.B.A. (Finance and Policy) - University of British Columbia

B.Sc. (Chemistry) - University of British Columbia

He is an experienced business and clinical professional. He is co-author of the paper "The Radioimmunoassay of Angiotensinogen by Antibody Trapping." He has worked in laboratory testing and management for over 20 years.