Delve Detect Enables Physicians to Manage Elusive Pathogens in Complex Central Nervous System Infections

Rapid diagnostic clarity enables targeted treatment while avoiding neurosurgery benefiting patients

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Delve Bio, a UCSF spin-out and pioneer in metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for infectious diseases, will present new real-world clinical experience at ASM Microbe 2026 that demonstrates the clinical impact of Delve Detect in diagnosing challenging central nervous system (CNS) infections, particularly in patients with prior antimicrobial exposure or atypical presentations.

Across three cases, Delve Detect identified complex infections that conventional diagnostic methods failed to definitively diagnose, enabling physicians to make informed clinical management decisions, including the initiation of targeted antimicrobial therapies tailored to each patient’s infection. These cases underscore the value of integrating metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) into the diagnostic workup of complex neurologic infections.

• Elucidation of CNS Infection Following Traumatic Brain Injury

June 6, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Poster 4448

In a patient presenting with traumatic intracranial findings and progressive respiratory decline, conventional microbiologic testing failed to identify an infectious etiology. Delve Detect rapidly detected Pasteurella multocida, enabling initiation of targeted antimicrobial therapy and providing critical diagnostic clarity in a complex neurologic case.

• Targeted Therapy Initiated Following Diagnosis of Shunt Infection

June 5, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Poster 3633

A pediatric patient with hydrocephalus and a ventriculoperitoneal shunt presented with persistent fever despite empiric therapy, followed by worsening headache, meningeal signs and concern for shunt infection. Conventional microbiologic testing was limited due to prior antimicrobial exposure. Delve Detect expeditiously identified Mycobacterium abscessus from a shunt cerebrospinal fluid sample, enabling the treating physician more timely initiation of targeted anti-mycobacterial therapy and avoiding a costly shunt revision.

• Detection of a Fastidious Anaerobic Pathogen Despite Prior Antibiotics

June 5, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Poster 4428

A patient with neurologic symptoms following influenza pneumonia experienced clinical deterioration, including severe headache, skull base osteomyelitis, and ischemic stroke, while conventional diagnostics remained negative. Delve Detect immediately identified Fusobacterium necrophorum despite prior antibiotic exposure, providing the treating physician with actionable diagnostic clarity that prompted expansion of antimicrobial coverage to include anaerobes and guided initiation of an extended treatment course tailored to the patient’s condition.

Collectively, these cases demonstrate the limitations of conventional cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diagnostics in pretreated or atypical CNS infections. In each instance, Delve Detect provided clinically actionable results that supported targeted therapy selection, informed device management decisions, and clarified infectious etiologies in complex neurologic cases. These findings support the impact on patients and providers of Delve Detect mNGS-based testing early in the diagnostic pathway for suspected CNS infections.

About Delve Bio, Inc.

Delve Bio is a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) company dedicated to improving infectious disease diagnosis. Its pathogen-agnostic platform enables broad detection of routine and rare pathogens from a single test. Delve Detect, the company’s flagship testing service, delivers comprehensive results the day after sample receipt and includes access to the Clinical Microbial Sequencing Board, an on-call team of infectious disease experts who provide clinical context for results. The company was founded by leaders in genomics and infectious disease, including Drs. Charles Chiu, Joe DeRisi, Michael Wilson, Pardis Sabeti, and Matthew Meyerson, and is backed by institutional investors including Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund II, Section 32, and GV.

For more information, visit www.delve.bio.