A method for detecting the presence of a pathogen in a whole blood sample aliquot, includes providing a sample aliquot from each of a number of whole blood samples, thereby providing a plurality of whole blood sample aliquots, separately contacting each of the whole blood sample aliquots of the plurality of whole blood sample aliquots with a lysis reagent, whereby at least a portion of the blood cells in each of the whole blood sample aliquots lyse, pooling the lysed whole blood sample aliquots to form a pooled lysate, and testing the pooled lysate for presence of a pathogen. Identification of the presence of the pathogen in the pooled lysate indicates the presence of the pathogen in at least one of the whole blood sample aliquots.