Tick-Borne Disease cePCR Test Panel (CETBD)

Overview:

Tick-Borne Disease cePCR Test Panel (CETBD)

Includes two-week culture, plus PCR for Lyme, TBRF, Babesia, Bartonella, HME,
HGA, and Rickettsia.

OVERVIEW OF CULTURE TESTING

Culture testing, a technique of taking a sample of a pathogen and allowing it to grow over a period of time, is widely considered to be the “gold standard” for diagnosis of tick-borne illnesses. Until now, culturing tick-borne pathogens has been very difficult and too expensive to be used for clinical diagnosis.

After many years of research and development, IGeneX is pleased to introduce cePCR™ (Culture Enhanced PCR) for all of the major tick-borne illnesses. IGeneX is currently the only lab that can perform culture testing for these diseases.

HOW cePCR Works?

In culturing, a clinical sample from the body (e.g. blood) is incubated in media. During this incubation period, micro-organisms in the sample grow and multiply. The sample is then tested by PCR to identify the pathogens.

1. An aliquot of whole blood is placed into a proprietary culture media.
2. The culture media is incubated for several days.
3. PCR tests are performed on the cultured samples.

ADVANTAGES OF cePCR

Improved Sensitivity: Provides much higher sensitivity than standard PCR testing.

Early-Stage Detection: Effective for patients without an EM rash who are thought to be at moderate or high risk for early-disseminated Lyme disease but who have not yet seroconverted.

Comprehensive Screening: Screens for multiple tick-borne diseases in one test.

Highly Specific: Obtaining cultures before antibiotic use improves the chances of identifying the offending microorganism, which improves patient care.