Babesia species by PCR, Blood (Sendout)

Useful For: An initial screening or confirmatory testing method for suspected babesiosis during the acute febrile stage of infection in patients from endemic areas, especially when Giemsa-stained peripheral blood smears do not reveal any organisms, or the organism morphology is inconclusive.

Test Information: This is a qualitative assay and the results are reported either as negative or positive for targeted Babesia species DNA.

Reference Values: Negative

Interpretation:

A positive result indicates the presence of Babesia species DNA and is consistent with active or recent infection. While positive results are highly specific indicators of disease, they should be correlated with blood smear microscopy, serological results and clinical findings.

A negative result indicates absence of detectable DNA from Babesia species in the specimen, but does not always rule out ongoing babesiosis in a seropositive person, since the parasitemia may be present at a very low level or may be sporadic.

Other tests to consider in the evaluation of a patient presenting with an acute febrile illness following tick exposure include serologic tests for Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi), and molecular detection (PCR) for ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis. For patients who are past the acute stage of infection, serologic tests for these organisms should be ordered prior to PCR testing.

Cautions:

While this assay is designed to detect symptomatic infection with Babesia microti, B duncani, and B divergens/MO-1, it may detect low-grade asymptomatic parasitemia in individuals in babesiosis-endemic areas. Thus, it should only be used for testing patients with a clinical history and symptoms consistent with babesiosis.

Inhibitory substances may cause false-negative results.

Inadequate specimen collection or improper storage may invalidate test results.

Outside Laboratories: Store and transport whole blood at refrigerated temperature. Sample must arrive at the performing lab within 7 days of collection (allow for transit time from UW-MT to Mayo).

Stability: Refrigerated (preferred): 7 days; Ambient: Unacceptable; Frozen: Unacceptable.

Reject Due To: Gross lipemia.

Refrigerate whole blood in original collection container.

Login: SPMSND-;REFRIG

• MSNDTO: MAYO
• MSPTYP: WB
• MTSTRQ: ;Babesia Species by PCR (Mayo Test BABPB)

Sendouts:

• Order Mayo Test: BABPB.
• Sample must arrive at Mayo within 7 days of collection.

Stability: Refrigerated (preferred): 7 days; Ambient: Unacceptable; Frozen: Unacceptable.

Reject Due To: Gross lipemia.