Karius Test®
A liquid biopsy for infectious diseases designed to help solve the diagnostic puzzle
A Rapid Liquid Biopsy for Infectious diseases
The Karius Test is a blood test based on metagenomic sequencing of plasma microbial cell-free DNA (mcfDNA) and utilizes a single blood sample to rapidly and non-invasively detect over 1000 pathogens associated with deep-seated and difficult-to-diagnose systemic infections. The Karius Test may help clinicians avoid many invasive, low-yield, and sequential diagnostic tests that can delay treatment for vulnerable hospitalized patients.
Clinical Care
The Karius Test is designed to help physicians diagnose infectious in immunocompromised patients. The main diagnostic applications of the Karius Test include: pneumonia, febrile neutropenia, endocarditis, invasive fungal infections, and fever of unknown origin.
Lab Services
The Karius Test provides you and your clinical team with the ability to use asingle blood draw to rapidly detect more than 1000
pathogens.
Improving the diagnosis of life-threatening infections
The Karius Test has demonstrated higher diagnostic yield than the standard of care diagnostic tests in multiple studies.
Karius Test diagnostic yield
71%-92%
SOC diagnostic yield
7%-79%
Febrile neutropenia
55 adult patients with leukemia
85%
42%
Benamu E et al. Clin Infect Dis. Published online April 19, 2021. Epub ahead of print.
Prolonged/persistent fever, or imaging suspicious of infection
31 adult patients with hematologic malignancy +/-BMT
80%
35%
Yu J et al. Transplant Cell Ther. Published online February 26, 2021. Epub ahead of print.
Focal/systemic infections
79 pediatric patients (76% immunocompromised
92%
(63% invasive)
79%
(48% invasive)
Rosoff J et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019;6(8)
Febrile neutropenia, pneumonia, or intra-abdominal infection
10 adults with chemotherapy or transplant
80%
60%
Camargo JF et al. F1000Res. 2019 Jul 26;8:1194
Invasive infections / FUO / Febrile neutropenia / culture-negative endocarditis
167 adult patients (36% immunocompromised)
71%
7% (Blood Culture only)
Francisco, D., et al. Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology, 3(1), E31.
Focal/systemic infections (Retrospective analysis of use)
110 Pediatric patients
74%
53%
Wilke J et al. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2021;21:552
Complicated community-acquired pneumonia
46 pediatric patients
89%
26%
Dworsky ZD, et al. Hosp Pediatr. 2022 Mar 2:e2021006361
Infective endocarditis
10 pediatric patients
80%
30% (Blood Culture) / 50% (All)
To RK et al. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2021;40(5):486-488
Designed to improve the diagnosis and management of life-threatening infections
Speeding up diagnosis of infections
The Karius Test results typically report the next day after sample receipt, compared with standard methods which can take days to weeks to yield results.5,6,8
Optimizing antimicrobial treatment
Karius Test pathogen identification and the addition of genotypic bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detection may help clinicians to optimize antimicrobial treatment.3,4
Reducing the need for invasive procedures
The Karius Test requires a single blood draw to reveal information-rich, microbial cell-free DNA, potentially avoiding invasive diagnostic procedures.1,2
One test, multiple diagnostic applications.
Additional Resources
Testing Process
From blood sample to report, the Karius Test Process typically offers next day turnaround service.
Clinical and Analytical Validation
Multiple published studies describe the analytical validation and clinical evidence of the Karius Test.
Frequently Asked Questions
From clinical situations to sample collection to interpretation of results, find more specific information about Karius and Karius Test.
Ordering the Karius Test
The Karius Test is a send-out test that can be ordered by hospital clinicians. The patient's blood sample is collected at the hospital and shipped to the Karius laboratory overnight.
The kit includes:
- Plasma preparation tube
- Shipping materials
- FedEx® Pak with preprinted label to Karius
References
- Foong et al. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Vol. 9 Issue 12, December 2022, ofc652;
- Shishido et al. BMC Infectious Diseases (2022) 22:372;
- Francisco, D., et al. Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology, 3(1), E31 ;
- Yu J et al. Transplant Cell Ther. Published online February 26, 2021.;
- Rossoff J et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019;6(8).;
- Tabak YP et al. J Clin Microbiol. 2018;56(12). ;
- Bosshard PP. Mycoses. 2011;54(5):e539-545. ;
- Benamu E, et al.,Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Apr19:ciab324.