The development of infectiological diagnostic methodology is characterized by saltatoric, revolutionary leaps. Improved sensitivity and specificity, reduction of analytical sample volumes, increased sample throughput, reduced test complexity associated with improved user friendliness are hallmarks of such developments. Apart from purely technical amenities some innovations also enable conceptual adaptations of monitoring strategies. These include the use of diagnostic assays on-site, e. g. in the stable or in the practice. Selecting the assay which is most "fit-for-purpose" among the plethora of sometimes loudly advertised new technology may be difficult even for the well trained and experienced diagnostician. Standardized licensing procedures for infectiological diagnostic kits may be required to guarantee minimal norms of diagnostic quality. At the same time availability of a diversity of diagnostic kits is needed to broaden the base of diagnostic reliability. New infectiological diagnostic innovations will only be useful if the (expanded) results are transposable to the improved practical care of companion animals and farm animal holdings. In addition, the judgment of results, e. g. for epidemiological plausibility, remains a very important issue even when the test results have been produced by novel high technology diagnostics.