How is anaplasmosis diagnosed?
Accurate diagnosis of anaplasmosis is often difficult because of the non-specific nature of the symptoms. An initial diagnosis is based on the patient’s symptoms and a possible history of tick exposure. The diagnosis can only be confirmed by use of laboratory tests. Your doctor will take a blood sample to test for low white blood cell count, low platelet count, elevated levels of specific liver enzymes, the presence of specific antibodies produced by your body in response to infection with A. phagocytophilum, and/or use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the presence of A. phagocytophilum.
