title: Efficacy of immunoglobulin M serodiagnostic test for rapid diagnosis of acute babesiosis.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy of an immunoglobulin M indirect immunofluorescent-antibody procedure for diagnosing acute babesiosis, we tested patients with acute babesiosis from a site in New England where the disease is enzootic. The sensitivity of the test was 91%, the specificity was 99%, the positive predictive value was 86%, and the negative predictive value was 99%. This B. microti immunoglobulin M indirect immunofluorescent-antibody procedure is sufficiently sensitive, specific, and reproducible for use in the routine clinical diagnosis of acute babesiosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington 06030, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Telford
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Persing
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spielman
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012237:Rhode Island / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007075:Immunoglobulin M