
What is Babesiosis?

As shown on the adjacent graph ‘Co-infections,’ you can see Babesia is prevalent in 32% of case of Lyme disease followed closely by Bartonella. Babesia is the most common co-infection even considering it largely infects people on the East Coast, especially, in the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard on the Eastern Coast of Massachusetts where B. microtii and B. duncani species are considered endemic.

Symptoms of Babesia/Babesiosis
- do not have a spleen;
- have a weak immune system for other reasons (such as cancer, lymphoma, AIDS, or Lyme disease);
- have other serious health conditions (such as liver or kidney disease, Lyme disease);
- are elderly; or
- two confirmed human cases occurred where the disease crossed the placental wall and cause the disease in the fetus. Very similar to that of Lyme disease which also indicates Babesia has the ability to cross the blood brain barrier. More research is necessary to prove this theory. But when it quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it usually is a duck.
- Currently, doctors are not required to report cases of people infected with Babesia to the CDC. Accordingly, no records exist to show how many real cases are present in the US. Worse, because the blood supply used for blood transfusions are not screened for Babesia, carriers pose a risk to the blood supply as this infection has been documented to be passed on by blood transfusions. Yet another means for this co-infecton of Lyme disease and Lyme disease proper to infect humans.

Testing
DNA CONNEXIONS
The following are the pathogens DNA Connexions can test for:
- Borrelia burgdorferi – Bb F7, Bb Osp A, Bb OspB, Bb Osp C;
- Babesia microti, B. divergens, B. duncani
- Bartonella bacillformis, B. henselae, B. quintana, B. recurrentiis
- Ehrlichia chaffeensis, and
- Anaplasma phagocytophilium
IGeneX
- Basic Lyme disease panel: WB IgG, WB IgM & lyme IFA.
- Initial Lyme disease panel: WB IgG, WB IgM, lyme PCR serum and whole blood.
- Complete co-infection panel: approx. prices vary for all tests but here is the link to the price sheet for both Lyme and co-infections.
Immunosciences
Immunoserology of Lyme Panel Against tick-borne antigens-
- Borrelia burgdorferi (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- OspA + OspC Peptides (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- OspE Peptide (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- Leukocyte Function Associated Antigen (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- Immunodominant Protein (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- Variable Major Protein (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
Borrelia Subspecies Antibodies
- Bb sensu stricto (IgG, IgM)
- B. garinii (IgG, IgM)
- B. afzelii (IgG, IgM)
Lyme Co-Infection
- Babesia (IgG, IgM)
- Ehrlichia (IgG, IgM)
- Bartonella (IgG, IgM)
Immunoserology of Lyme Panel against tick-borne antigens –
- Lyme-Specific Antibodies Borrelia burgdorferi (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- OspA + OspC Peptides (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- OspE Peptide (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- Leukocyte Function Associated Antigen (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- Immunodominant Protein (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- Variable Major Protein (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
Borrelia Subspecies Antibodies
- Bb sensu stricto (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- B. garinii (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- B. afzelii (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
Lyme Co-Infection
- Babesia (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
- Ehrlichia (IgG, IgM) 86666 x 2
- Bartonella (IgG, IgM) 86618 x 2
Western Blot Assay
- B. burgdorferi (IgG, IgM) 84181 x 2
- ELISA test for Borrelia burgdorferi IgM and IgG
- Western blot for B. burgdorferi IgM and IgG
