Laboratory Diagnosis of Tick-Borne Infections

Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia

July 2010

Several factors to consider when interpreting the results of Babesia serology are that an IgG titer of greater than or equal to 1:64 is generally considered positive, but a low titer may be seen in patients from endemic areas without disease, and the results may be interpreted as simply past, asymptomatic exposure.

In contrast, IgG titers of 256 or greater are generally considered to correlate more closely with acute infection, but a comparison of acute and convalescent phase sera is recommended when diagnosing acute disease using serology. It’s important to note that based on current data, the correlation between titer and disease severity is poor, and it is not generally recommended to use titers to monitor a patient’s response to therapy. This is due to the fact that while titers may drop to negative within 6-12 months of infection, titers can also persist for years despite adequate therapy and resolution of symptoms.

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Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia

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• Introduction
• Outline
• Patient Case 1
• Laboratory Workup
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Typical Positive Result by IFA
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Diagnostic Tests for HME and HGA
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
• Patient Case 2
• Giemsa-stained Preparation Slide
• Giemsa-stained Preparation Slide
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Babesia
• Patient Case 3
• Lyme Disease - Diagnostic Approach
• Conventional Methods for Diagnosis of Lyme Disease
• Patient Case 3 (continued)
• Diagnosis of Lyme Disease
• Lyme Disease - Serologic Assays
• Lyme Disease - Serologic Assays
• Lyme Disease - Serologic Assays
• Patient Case 3 (continued)
• Lyme Disease - Serologic Assays
• Patient Case 3 (continued)
• Lyme Disease - Factors to Consider
• Conclusions
• References
• Questions?