Hi TBD Buster
RE testing vs time off antibiotics - there is a pretty good discussion of this issue on Blazer's recent thread - will find and add a link - lots of statements and v little actual evidence is the summary.
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=30&m=4325302we do know from published case reports that some people are seronegative for things like lyme and bartonella - then sero-convert during antibiotic treatment - to my knowledge there there are no studies of T-cell tests during treatment to indicate either way.
ref GP referred tests - the NHS recently announced it was withdrawing all serologic tests for Bartonella - has not announced any replacement.
also - my NHS lyme tests Elisa and western blot were both negative (bands not reported on the blot - so i have no way of knowing if any of these were positive) - yet my Armin labs test was both IgM and IgG positive - my research on the topic indicates that the antigens used by the NHS may not reflect that surface proteins of many of the actual species we have in Europe.
i don't think the UK has any tests for Babesia - as they do not regard it to be present in the UK.
however there are studies of dogs in the UK who have not travelled outside the UK and were found to have babesiosis ( species rarely identified ) - so we known it is present - there is just v little monitoring to know to what degree.
We do know the deer population, which seems to be the main reservoir host for the species that seem to cause most harm to humans - has quadrupled in recent years - and there are studies in deer that show Babesia Venatorum is present in the UK deer population, as well as sheep - so it could be much more prevalent than is commonly thought.
T-Labs have a immuno-histological fluoresce test that uses a fluorescent tagged antibody to show up Babesia odocoilei. which seems to be about
the best
i think Igenex also have a decent FISH tests
but in general the tests for babesia seem to lack sensitivity
Galaxy is about
the best for bartonella - their latest triple blood draw with culture and then digital droplet PCR is the best performing test so far with published validation trials - it shows you what lengths they have to go to get the sensitivity up to anything like useful levels for bartonella.
and even then they only claim 49% sensitivity
( my guess is this is a conservative figure - as the authors are very well respected scientists who go to great pains to demonstrate that their claims are fully supported due to the controversy in this whole area of stealth infections )
the test is pricey - due to low volumes and labour intensive steps
the 2nd best option that i know of is the new multi-species bartonella western/immunoblot from Igenex
not as good as Galaxy's test - is still serological - but due to using many bartonella species antigens - its has a better chance of detecting some antibodies. so sensitivity is much higher than a basic ELISA . this test is still pricey - but about
half the price of the galaxy triple draw
( Roberto Maggi - the well known bart researcher presented that in their tests they found around 48 bartonella antigens were needed to detect bartonella reliably via serology due to its wide heterogenicity)
my Armin labs ELISPOT ( LTT) test was negative for bartonella H. but i found unmistakable bartonella via thin blood smear with Giemsa stain ay 1000x under oil.
bartonella is the only pathogen known to present in this way - so the test is 100% definitive - it just takes a lot of hours - see the link in my signature for images/ explanation.
i had considered setting up some kind of testing service in the UK using this proven and WHO approved method for detecting blood born pathogens - as there is very little by way of reliable bartonella testing in Europe.
have you ever had the distinctive bart striae type streaks / rash ? - if so i would skip testing all together as that along with the symptoms you describe is definitive enough for diagnosis by most good LLMD's