Understanding babesiosis

Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a type of Apicomplexa. Ticks transmit the human strain of babesiosis, so it often presents with other tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease.

Symptoms and complications: The severity of the symptoms of babesiosis can vary. You may have no symptoms at all, or you may have slight flu-like symptoms. Some cases can cause serious, life-threatening complications.A Babesia infection most often starts with a high fever and chills. Common symptoms include: fatigue, severe headache, muscle, aches, joint pain, abdominal pain, nausea, skin bruising, yellowing of your skin and eyes, and mood changes.

As the infection progresses, you may develop chest or hip pain, shortness of breath, and drenching sweats. It is possible to be infected with Babesia and not have any symptoms. A relapsing high fever is sometimes a sign of undiagnosed babesiosis.Complications can include: very low blood pressure; liver problems; breakdown of red; blood cells, known as hemolytic anemia; and kidney failure.

Causes of babesiosis: Babesiosis is caused by infection with a malaria-like parasite of the species Babesia. The Babesia parasite can also be called Nuttalia.

How it is transmitted: The most common way to contract Babesia is a bite from an infected tick. Babesia microti parasites live in the gut of the blacklegged or deer tick (Ixodes scapularis).

The white-tailed deer is a common carrier of the deer tick. The deer itself is not infected. After falling off the deer, the tick will typically rest on a blade of grass, a low branch, or leaf litter.

You probably would not feel the tick bite, and you may not even see it. That is because most human infections are spread during spring and summer by ticks in the nymph stage. During this stage, the ticks are about the size and color of a poppy seed. Besides a tick bite, this infection can also pass via contaminated blood transfusions or via transmission from an infected pregnant woman to her fetus.

Risk factors: People with no spleen or a weakened immune system are at greater risk. Babesiosis can be a life-threatening condition for these people. Older adults, especially those with other health problems, are also at higher risk.
*Dr. Anthony Nwaoney is an epidemiologist