You've probably heard of Lyme disease – now. Infectious disease experts warn Babesiosis is another serious tick-borne disease on the rise.
“If you live in an area where babesiosis is endemic, primarily states in the Northeast and Midwest, take precautions, especially during the summer months,” said the study's lead author. Paddy Sentongoan infectious disease researcher at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Sentongo's team found that the incidence of babesiosis, a potentially life-threatening disease also known as “American malaria,” increased by an average of 9% per year in the United States from 2015 to 2022. Additionally, 4 out of 10 patients were found to have malaria. – Are infected with Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases.
Professor Sentongo believes the increase in babesiosis is due to changes in season length, temperature, humidity and rainfall affecting tick populations.
His findings were published in the journal Tuesday open forum infectious disease.
Here's everything you need to know about babesiosis.
What is babesiosis?
Babesiosis is a disease caused by Babesia bacteria Parasite. It is primarily transmitted through the bite of the black-footed tick, also known as the deer tick. Like malaria, this parasite infects red blood cells.
Blood transfusions, transplants, and mother-to-child transmission also occur.
The Penn State research team identified 3,521 people infected with babesiosis from October 2015 to December 2022. Most of the cases occurred in the northeastern states during the summer.
Forty-two percent of babesiosis patients had at least one other tick-borne disease. This was a higher rate than previous studies.
Of these patients, 41% had co-infections with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, 3.7% showed signs of ehrlichiosis, and 0.3% showed signs of anaplasmosis.
Deaths from babesiosis are rare – in 2019The U.S. mortality rate was 0.57%. That same year, five people died in New York, two in Massachusetts, and one in Maryland.
Sentongo said he was surprised that the babesiosis-only group had a higher risk of death than the co-infection group.
“Having both babesiosis and Lyme disease does not seem to be associated with worse mortality,” he said. “It has been speculated that the simultaneous presence of other tick-borne infections in the blood may alter the immune response, potentially 'boosting' the immune response to effectively fight the infection. .”
Symptoms of babesiosis
Some people with babesiosis have no symptoms, but According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some people may develop flu-like symptoms a week or several weeks after being infected. Symptoms include:
- heat
- cold
- sweatshirt
- headache
- body pain
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- fatigue
The disease can be fatal for older people, people with weakened immune systems, liver or kidney disease, or people who don't have a spleen.
Treatment of babesiosis
A blood test can confirm the presence of Babesia protozoa.
The antibiotics azithromycin and atovaquone usually treat this disease. In severe cases, a process may be used to replace abnormal red blood cells with healthy ones.
“For patients with babesiosis, we add doxycycline as we investigate whether the patient has Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases. At our medical center, this approach has shown good results. ” added Mr Ssentongo. This method seems to require further research.
How can I prevent babesiosis?
“Practice tick bite prevention. Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants, and light-colored clothing,” Ssentongo advised. “Use tick repellent and check for ticks after spending time outdoors.”
