Babesiosis: Parasitic Infection from Ticks

Ticks are among the top insects I hate the most.  I went backpacking once and had ticks on me every now and then and it gave me anxiety.  Ticks are just about everywhere and it is known that ticks carry diseases that can be passed to humans.  There is one parasitic infection caused by ticks that stood out to me and I believe everyone should at least be familiar with it.  This infection is called babesiosis.


General Description:
Babesiosis is a parasitic infection caused by protozoa from the Babesia family.  This protozoa infects the blood and is transmitted to people by deer ticks.  This infection has been seen in many places in the world, but is endemic in the United States.  Most people who acquire this parasitic infection are asymptomatic, but some people may develop flu-like symptoms and other complications.  Babesiosis can be diagnosed with simple blood tests and treatment options are available.

Picture of a deer tick.  Image can be found here.

Locations:
This infection is endemic in the northeastern coastal and midwest region of the United States.  It has also been seen in California and Mexico.  Internationally, the infection has also been recorded in parts of Europe and Asia.

Infection Method:
A person can acquire this infection from a deer tick bite.  The protozoa then spreads in the blood and damages red blood cells.  This condition does not transmit between people.

Microscope slide of red blood cells infected with the Babesia protozoa.  Image can be found here.

Symptoms:
Most people with this infection do not express any symptoms.  Some develop flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, nausea, and fatigue.  When the protozoa damages enough blood cells, a person may develop hemolytic anemia, which leads to yellowing of the skin and dark urine.  This infection is most dangerous to people with compromised immune systems.  This includes people who do not have a spleen, who have AIDS, who have other health complications, and who are elderly.  Some complications these people can get include:

• abnormal blood pressures
• low platelet count
• organ failure 
• death

Treatment:

Diagnosis for this parasitic infection can be done by examining the blood for the parasite.  Once diagnosed, medication can be prescribed to treat the condition.  Some people can recover without any treatment.  The infection can persist in the body for months after treatment, but generally the prognosis for this infection is good.

Final Thoughts:

I believe that with the abundance of ticks in the world, people need to be cautious when visiting or working in locations with a high count of ticks.  Babesiosis is generally not dangerous, but if you or loved one has a compromised immune system, it is better go prepared.  I give this advice all the time, but when traveling to a place with ticks, especially deer ticks, wear protective clothing or take bug sprays.  Babesiosis is not a huge concern, but it is better to avoid acquiring this parasitic infection.

I hope you all found the information interesting!  Leave a comment or recommendation to keep the information flowing.

References:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/212605-overview#showall

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/babesiosis/