1) Get tested. LabCorp or Quest is preferred since they are considered most credible by most agencies. Requst B. microti and B. duncani titers and/or PCR, AND A BLOOD SMEAR.
**If results are positive, cases will go into this year�s surveillance data. Some labs do �point-of-care testing�- do it. To quote from my health department, �any lab would be credible if they do both blood smear and PCR�.
One recommended BLOOD SMEAR-only lab- they don't do bloodwork- that may be better than the two above:
Thin blood Smear test: This test is run for patients with history of having been bitten by bloodsucking insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, lice, Triatoma bugs, or fleas looking for parasites such as
Babesia, malaria, Trypanosoma, Wuchereria, Brugia, Loa, or Onchocerca. Additionally, metabolic dysfunctions such as vitamin deficiencies, free radical damage, pancreatic and liver disorders detectable from blood cell abnormalities are reported. Directions for making a thin blood film are available
Price: $105.00
**Request both B. microti AND B. duncani. Although there's no difference in their RBC piroplasm shape that we know of, better to err on the side of caution**
2) Ask your physician, if they have not already done so this year, to report all 2011 cases to your state health department. Your health department is responsible for forwarding all reports to the CDC. It's been set up to be done only that way: doc->health dept->CDC. This is true for surveillance data and for clinical cases.
3) If you were diagnosed PRIOR to 2011, ask your physician to report your case retroactively to your state health department. Some states allow for retroactive reporting, some do not."
4) Spread the word. Now that we can legally be counted, let's get ourselves on that database so officials can see with real statistics what an epidemic this is.
NOTE ON SMEARS: CDC does NOT consider a FISH smear test to be a valid method for reporting. I personally think's they need to catch up with that technology, but it is what it is for the time being. SO, you have to have a "regular" one done.
I used to work professionally in a university cell bio department, a microscopy gal of sorts. I know that a "regular" blood smear- even the FISH for that matter- is very subjective due to sampling issues.
It literally takes a competent microbiological tech HOURS to go through all the RBC's on the slide, and with only about 1-2% of those cells typically infected with piroplasms in the average patient...wowzahs. Quite akin to the needle and the haystack. Very time consuming, and is often not done with proper technique in "standardized" labs.
I'm going to quote LymeMD here from his public blog because he's EXACTLY on target:
"The average tech at Labcorp or Quest has only a few minutes, at best, to study the smears. The smears are microscopically magnified to the 400 power. Many experts believe that 1000 magnification power with oil immersion is required to identify the pathogens. No wonder only one case of Babesia has been "reported."
-------------------- (The ole disclaimer: I'm not a doctor.) Posts: 1349 | From VA | Registered: Jul 2006
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YIPEEE!!!!
Let's please email this out widely, cross-post it to other blogs, and get word out!
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