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Babesiosis is a rare, serious, and sometimes fatal disease spread by the northern deer tick. Ticks can carry a parasite called Babesia microti that attacks the red blood cells of many animals, including man.
Incidence; Causes & Development
As at the time of writing (2002), approximately 200 cases of babesiosis have been reported in the U.S. since the first human case was recognized on Nantucket Island (off the coast of Massachusetts) in 1968.
Babesiosis is a malaria-like illness caused by a protozoan parasite (Babesia microti in the U.S.; other members of the Babesia genus in Europe) that invades red blood cells, and is primarily transmitted by the deer tick Ixodes scapularis and possibly other related Ixodid ticks.
In the US, the deer (black-legged) tick in the Northeast and upper Midwest, and the Western black-legged tick on the Pacific coast are the primary carriers. A majority of reported cases occur during the summer months along the immediate coast and off-shore islands of the Northeast.
Signs & Symptoms
The symptoms of babesiosis normally begin about a week after a tick bite with a gradual onset of malaise, anorexia and fatigue. This is followed several days later by high fever, chills, drenching sweats, muscle pain, joint pain and headaches. As with malaria, these symptoms can continue over a protracted period (several days to several months) or can abate, then recur. Sometimes, a person can be infected with the parasite but not show any symptoms. In some cases it may take from 1 to 12 months for first symptoms to appear after infection with the parasite.
Treatment & Prevention
There is no specific treatment for babesiosis. However, some medications used in the treatment of malaria have also been useful in the treatment of babesiosis.
Prognosis
While many in the U.S. who are exposed to the parasite do suffer severe symptoms, such cases often are self-limiting and are eventually resolved with treatment; fatalities generally are limited to elderly patients with compromised immune systems.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Babesiosis:
Conditions that suggest Babesiosis: | | | | | Medical Procedures |  Having had a splenectomy | In Europe, reported fatal cases of babesiosis have occurred mostly in patients whose spleens have been removed, rendering them more vulnerable to infection. The offending parasite in these cases have been either B. divergens or B. major, to which humans (with spleens intact) are thought to be naturally resistant. In the U.S., reported fatal cases have occurred in patients both with and without spleens; B. microti may be a more virulent agent to which humans are not naturally resistant. |
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Metabolic |
Migraine/Tension Headaches |
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Risk factors for Babesiosis: | | | | | Immunity | Weakened Immune System| | Babesiosis occurs most often in the elderly or in people who already have a problem with their immune system. |
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Medical Procedures |
Blood transfusions| | Babesiosis can, in extremely rare cases, be spread person-to person through blood transfusions. |
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Recommendations and treatments for Babesiosis: | | | | | Drug |  Conventional Drug Use| | Recommended treatment is a seven-day course of oral quinine plus clindamycin under the careful supervision of a physician. Fatigue, malaise and a low grade fever may persist for weeks or months after treatment has been completed. |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia)
An eating disorder characterized by excess control - a morbid fear of obesity leads the sufferer to try and limit or reduce their weight by excessive dieting, exercising, vomiting, purging and use of diuretics. Sufferers are typically more than 15% below the average weight for their height/sex/age and typically have amenorrhea (if female) or low libido (if male). 1-2% of female teenagers are anorexic.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Malaise
A vague feeling of bodily discomfort, as at the beginning of an illness. A general sense of depression or unease.
Parasite (Parasites, Parasitic, Parasitical)
An organism living in or on another organism.
Protozoan (Protozoa)
Any one of a large group of one-celled (unicellular) animals, including amoebas. They are microorganisms that differ from bacteria in that they are larger and possess a nucleus surrounded by a membrane. Several species of protozoa can be transmitted through water and cause disease in humans, including Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, Entamoeba and Isospora. One distinguishing characteristic of protozoa is that when released from the human body through feces they are present in an encysted (dormant) form. These cysts have a protective layer that surrounds them and keeps chemicals from penetrating them. Therefore, chlorine disinfection does not kill the protozoan cysts.
Red Blood Cell (Erythrocyte, Erythrocytes, RBC, Red Blood Cells)
Any of the hemoglobin-containing cells that carry oxygen to the tissues and are responsible for the red color of blood.
Last updated: Apr 13, 2008
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