Babesia PCR !!! NOTE: The contents are valid only for: 04/06/2026 !!!
| WSLH Department: | CDD - Communicable Disease Division |
| WSLH Test Code: | MP00821 |
| Day(s) Performed: | Weekly |
| Turn-around Time: | 1-7 days |
| Recommended Uses: | Confirmation of Babesia microti infections |
| Pre-approval: | No |
| Contraindications: | Not recommended for primary diagnosis of Babesia microti due to the delays from transport. Not recommended for patients who have no history of arthropod or insect bite/exposure. |
| Additional Tests Performed: |
N/A |
| Preparation for Collection: | Specimens should be collected while patient is symptomatic if the patient presents with periodicity of symptoms. |
| Specimen Requirements: | Tube of EDTA Blood |
| Collection Instructions: | EDTA blood collected per standard operating procedures |
| Collection Kit/Container: |
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| Requisition Form: |
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| Required Information: | Laboratory regulations require the following minimum information to be provided on the requisition form for a specimen to be accepted for testing: Patient name or unique identifier, date and time of collection, patient date of birth and sex, specimen type/site of collection, test request(s), clinician name and UPIN, and address for reporting results. Please be certain that name/identifier on the form matches that on the specimen label which is required to have a minimum of two identifiers. |
| Rejection Criteria: | Serum specimens and whole blood without anticoagulant cannot be tested. Specimens collected <4 hours apart. |
| Specimen Handling: | Transport EDTA blood at 2-8°C with frozen cold pack. |
| Packaging Requirements: | |
| Courier Information: | Contact Purple Mountain Dispatch at 800-990-9668 for specimen pick-up |
| Specimen Receiving Hours: | Monday-Friday 6:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Saturday 6:30 AM - 12:30 PM |
| Results Include: | Babesia microti DNA detected or Babesia microti DNA not detected |
| Limitations: | Negative results do not exclude bloodborne parasite infection in a patient. Follow-up samples should be collected for a minimum of three successive days and at least six to eight hours apart. |
| Additional Tests Recommended: | |
| Additional Comments: | |
| Methodology: | RT-PCR detection Babesia microti DNA |
| Includes: | RT-PCR confirmation of Babesia microti positive blood |
| Regulatory Compliance: | |
| CPT Code: | 87798 |
| Price: | $159.00 |
| Fee Exempt Eligible: | Yes, for surveillance purposes |
| Billing and Revenue Office: | 1-800-862-1065 arbill@slh.wisc.edu |