Babesiosis is a rare but potentially life-threatening disease caused by parasites carried by ticks. (Image credit: Smith Collection/Gado/Contributor via Getty Images)
Disease name: Babesiosis
Affected populations: Babesiosis is a rare and potentially fatal parasitic disease that destroys red blood cells, the cells responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the tissues. The disease, transmitted by tick bites, is found worldwide, including in the United States and Europe.
Fewer than 3,000 cases of babesiosis are reported each year in the United States, with cases most common from May through September in the northern Midwest and Northeast, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut, and New York. Cases tend to increase in the spring and summer, when people are most likely to come into contact with ticks that carry the disease.
Causes: Babesiosis is caused by microscopic parasites of the genus Babesia. These organisms most often infect cattle and are transmitted between animals by ticks that feed on the blood of different hosts.
Once in the body, Babesia parasites attack and destroy red blood cells. This significantly reduces the ability of these cells to supply tissues with oxygen.
There are over 100 known species of parasites in the genus Babesia, but only a few can infect humans.
In the United States, most cases of babesiosis are caused by the parasite Babesia microti and are transmitted by deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis), also known as black-legged ticks. These ticks live in wooded, brushy, or grassy areas.
In rare cases, Babesia parasites can be transmitted from person to person through contaminated blood transfusions, and from mother to child through the placenta.
Symptoms: Most people exposed to Babesia parasites do not show any signs of babesiosis; this is especially true for young and healthy people.
However, in people with weakened immune systems or over age 50, the parasites can cause serious illness. People who have had their spleen removed are also at risk for serious infections, as it normally helps remove infected red blood cells from the bloodstream.
This image shows the parasites that cause babesiosis infecting red blood cells under a microscope.
Typical symptoms of babesiosis include fever, chills, sweating, muscle aches, as well as an enlarged liver and spleen and low red blood cell counts. Symptoms usually appear within one to four weeks of infection with Babesia parasites and can persist for several days.
Sourse: www.livescience.com
