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Only specialized laboratories can adequately diagnose Babesia infection in humans, so Babesia infections are considered highly under-reported. It develops in patients who live in or travel to an endemic area or receive a contaminated blood transfusion within the preceding 9 weeks, so this aspect of the medical history is vital. [ 13 ]
Babesia, [3] [4] also called Nuttallia, [5] is an apicomplexan parasite that infects red blood cells and is transmitted by ticks.Originally discovered by Romanian bacteriologist Victor Babeș in 1888; over 100 species of Babesia have since been identified.
Babesia bovis is transmitted transovarially, from the female ticks to the eggs, and can remain resident in tick populations for up to four years without infecting a vertebrate host. More commonly, a larval tick feeds upon a domestic cow, an African buffalo or a water buffalo , releasing the parasites into the animal's bloodstream.
Babesia canis is a parasite that infects red blood cells and can lead to anemia. [1] This is a species that falls under the overarching genus Babesia . It is transmitted by the brown dog tick ( Rhipicephalus sanguineus ) and is one of the most common piroplasm infections. [ 2 ]
For an individual to acquire infection, the feeding tick must also be infected. Not all ticks are infected. In most places in the US, 30-50% of deer ticks will be infected with Borrelia burgdorferi (the agent of Lyme disease). Other pathogens are much more rare. Ticks can be tested for infection using a highly specific and sensitive qPCR procedure.
Babesia divergens is an intraerythrocytic parasite, transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus. [1] It is the most common cause of human babesiosis . [ 2 ] It is the main agent of bovine babesiosis , or "redwater fever", in Europe.
Babesia microti is a parasitic blood-borne piroplasm transmitted by deer ticks. B. microti is responsible for the disease babesiosis , a malaria -like zoonosis which causes fever, hemolytic anemia caused by hemolysis , and enlarged spleen.
Against Babesia protozoa are imidocarb and diminazine, both of which can be used to treat patent clinical infections. [51] Against Theileria are parvaquone and halofuginone, both effective for clinical cases. [52] These drugs are usually administered to treat diagnosed cases, but the timing of treatment then becomes critical.