TABLE 1.

Comparison of expected malaria diagnostic test results in malaria versus babesiosis

Test	Expected result(s) for:
	Babesia spp.	Plasmodium spp.
Thin-film microscopy	Rings; tetrads (Maltese cross; rarely seen); parasitemia of >5% (common)	Rings; amoeboid trophozoites; schizonts; gametocytes; Schuffner's dots for P. vivax or P. ovale; parasitemia of >5% (less common)
Malaria rapid diagnostic test	Negative	Positive for P. falciparum with sensitivity of ≥95% at parasite density of 200 per μl blood; less sensitive for nonfalciparum species
Malaria qPCR	May be cross-reactive with standard 18S genus level assays; high CT value out of proportion to parasitemia observed on thin film	Logarithmic amplification curve with a low (congruent) CT value at a parasitemia of >1%