MILPITAS, Calif., July 27, 2021 – IGeneX, a leading tick-borne disease testing lab, is pleased to announce the availability of ImmunoBlot testing for Bartonella. The Bartonella ImmunoBlot tests for the Bartonella genus and speciates to multiple species of Bartonella that commonly infect humans, including B. henselae, B. quintana, B. elizabethae and B. vinsonii.
Most serological tests for Bartonella have poor sensitivity and have not been able to detect many of the ever-growing list of species and strains. With the new IGeneX Bartonella ImmunoBlots, sensitivity is superior without compromising specificity of the test.
“We are thrilled to bring the ImmunoBlot technology used for Lyme disease and COVID-19 to Bartonella,” said Dr. Jyotsna Shah, PhD, President and Laboratory Director of IGeneX. “Without accurate, multi-species tests that detect infection at all stages of disease, patients are unable to get a correct diagnosis and can’t get better.”
Bartonella can cause serious diseases in humans, such as Cat scratch disease (CSD), endocarditis, Trench fever, and Carrion’s disease. The symptoms of Bartonella can vary from mild to severe, and usually begin 5 to 14 days after infection. Common symptoms include fever, headaches, fatigue, poor appetite, brain fog, muscle pain, and swollen glands around the head, neck and arms.
The diagnosis for Bartonella should be considered in patients bitten by a tick, mite or flea, or scratched by small animals or for patients with signs and symptoms typical of Bartonella. Using a good diagnostic test will aid health care professionals in confirming exposure to Bartonella. IGeneX offers accurate and sensitive Bartonella ImmunoBlot tests which can provide answers for most practitioners.
Advantages of Bartonella ImmunoBlots:
• Far broader and more inclusive of Bartonella species than standard serologies
• More sensitive than Western Blots and/or Immunofluorescence assays (IFA), especially early in the disease
• 100% specificity, meaning there is little chance of a false positive
• Detects the full spectrum of disease: early, active and late-stage disease
• Detects antibodies to Bartonella species and strains from North America, Europe, and Australia
Pricing for the Bartonella ImmunoBlots is $225 for IgM and $225 for IgG.
