infections
Relapsing Fever
Diagnosis of Relapsing Fever
Examination of a blood sample Doctors suspect relapsing fever if people have recurring fevers, especially if they report spending the night in a cave or in a mountain cabin. To diagnose relapsing fever, doctors take a sample of blood and examine it under a microscope to look forBorreliabacteria. Measuring antibodies against theBorreliabacteria that cause relapsing fever may help. Doctors measure them soon after the infection is diagnosed and again weeks after people have recovered. An increased amount of antibodies toBorreliaafter recovery shows thatBorreliawas the cause. Sometimes Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (PCR) tests are done that detect genetic material from the bacteria. 