Babesiosis, Babesiosis

Human babesiosis is uncommon, but reported cases have risen recently because of expanded medical awareness.

Disease in Europe is usually due to infection with Babesia divergens , while in the United States Babesia microti and Babesia duncani are the species most commonly associated with human disease. Babesiosis has also been observed in Korea.

In more severe cases, there are symptoms similar to malaria, with fevers up to 105F / 40C, shaking chills, and severe anemia (hemolytic anemia). Organ failure may follow including adult respiratory distress syndrome. Severe cases occur mostly in people who have had their spleen removed surgically. Severe cases are also more likely to occur in the very young, very old, and persons with immunodeficiency, such as HIV/AIDS patients. Some people with babesiosis have additional tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease.

Babesiosis develops only 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.

The definitive diagnostic test for babesiosis is the identification of parasites on a Giemsa-stained thin blood smear.

Serology is also useful for differentiating babesiosis from malaria in cases where people are at risk for both infections. Since detectable antibody responses require approximately one week after infection to develop, serologic testing may be falsely negative early in the disease course.

Diagnosis is confirmed by observation of merozoites on thin film blood smear examined at maximum magnification under oil using Romonovski stains (methylene blue and eosin). This is a routine part of the veterinary examination of dogs and ruminants in regions where babesiosis is endemic.

Outspoken red discolouration of the grey matter on post-mortem further strengthens suspicion of cerebral babesiosis. Diagnosis is confirmed post-mortem by observation of babesia infected erythrocytes sludged in the cerebral cortical capilaries in a brain smear.

Source: Wikipedia > Babesiosis