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Babesia FISH is now negative, was positive a year ago

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Posted 3/10/2021 8:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hello.

My Babesia FISH through
Igenex was positive in March 2020 during a time I had no symptoms whatsoever. So I didn’t treat at that time. I was bit by a tick again this past August and I’ve since had two negative Babesia FISH tests (one in September 2020 and one in February 2021). So are two negative Babesia FISH tests really mean negative since it was once positive and it is no longer? I’m so confused!
Posted 3/10/2021 9:44 PM (GMT 0)
What are your symptoms?

I am having a similar experience, my symptoms have gotten worse but my Babesia FISH and IFA have both gone negative (with treatment). So personally I am attributing symptoms to Borrelia or some other cause.

The FISH is a pretty good test, especially if you combine with the IFA (antibody titer)

It is very possible to be asymptomatic even if you have a positive FISH
Posted 3/10/2021 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
My main symptoms are episodes of extreme heat following by freezing shivering cold. These are about five minute cycles of sweating intensively followed by freezing. I’m also becoming more and more tired as of late and my brain is getting worse cognitively. I’m still IGM and IGG cdc positive for Lyme and TBRF.
Posted 3/10/2021 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sorry, that sounds awful. If I were you I would take the test results to mean "these symptoms are not from Babesia" but that's just my opinion, and you can never know for sure.
Posted 3/11/2021 10:14 AM (GMT 0)
unfortunately, i would go with the "never know for sure" version with babesia testing

2 issues - both cause low sensitivity of IFA and FISH tests

1- both tests only typically detect 1 or 2 species of babesia - but there are thought to be many species that can infect and cause symptoms in humans - if you don't have either of the two well-known ones - it are invisible to the IFA and FISH
2 - the test itself is relatively low sensitivity - meaning many positive cases will not show up - and making it entirely possible to be positive when tested at one point and negative at another. babesia as an illness can also relapse and remit -

as a result, there are 2 basic approaches LLMD's take - neither of which are perfect

-work on a clinical diagnosis basis - perhaps followed by therapeutic trials of anti-malaria type meds
-take many tests each using different technologies in the hope of pushing sensitivity up
Posted 3/11/2021 1:47 PM (GMT 0)
Could those symptoms be hormonal? Not saying infections aren't involved, but sometimes imbalanced hormones wreak a lot of havoc. Hope you find some relief soon!
Posted 3/11/2021 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
According to the iGenex website, the FISH test is not species-specific: https://igenex.com/disease/babesia/#drawer-2
Posted 3/11/2021 6:44 PM (GMT 0)

Adam B said...
According to the iGenex website, the FISH test is not species-specific: https://igenex.com/disease/babesia/#drawer-2

yep - so they say - so perhaps they do - i guess it depends what RNA sequence they have chosen to use as the target for the fluorescent dye used.

i am still just a little bit skeptical as - in the early days with lyme tests there was a lot of stuff written by testing companies that say their test, like the C6 ELISA, detects all species - when in fact it absolutely could not because many species simply do not make the antigen that the C6 test looks for......

iGenex have a decent reputation though so i would hope they have gone to reasonable lengths to ensure they have most of the known species covered
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