A novel quantitative PCR detects Babesia infection in patients not identified by currently available non-nucleic acid amplification tests

Table 1 Analysis of qPCR, conducted in a blinded manner to detect the presence of B. microti DNA and comparison with Babesia FISH, IFA and microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained thin blood smear

qPCR Results from 3 repeats (No. of Samples)#	IFA			Babesia FISH			Microscopy of Giemsa-Stained blood smear
qPCR Results from 3 repeats (No. of Samples)#	Positive	Negative	NT	Positive	Negative	NT	Positive/±	Negative	NT
+/+/+ (3)	0	0	3	2	0	1	1	0	2
+/+/- (65)	7/1±	19	38	7	5	53	8/1 ± ^a	4	52
+/-/- (24)	0	2	22	9	0	15	7	0	17
-/-/- (100)	1	40	59	1	13	86	0	7	93

#Each plus or minus sign indicates the results from one qPCR assay. Patient samples were considered positive or negative by qPCR based upon comparison with the standard curve in Fig. 2b
^aMicroscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smears provided uncertain results for Babesia presence. IFA ± indicates only some of the parasites showed fluorescence
NT-Not Tested. NT samples were considered negative for diagnosis of babesiosis by physicians based upon symptomatology and also for statistical analyses in this study

ISSN: 1471-2180