infections
Babesiosis
Prevention of Babesiosis
In areas where deer ticks are common, people can reduce the risk of getting babesiosis by taking precautions against ticks. People can reduce their chances of picking up or being bitten by a tick by doing the following: Staying on paths and trails when walking in wooded areas Walking in the center of trails to avoid brushing up against bushes and weeds Not sitting on the ground or on stone walls Wearing long-sleeved shirts Wearing long pants and tucking them into boots or socks Wearing light-colored clothing, which makes ticks easier to see Applying an insect repellent containing diethyltoluamide (DEET) to the skin Applying an insect repellent containingpermethrinto clothing or wearing clothing commercially pretreated withpermethrin To remove a tick, people should use fine-pointed tweezers to grasp the tick by the head or mouthparts right where it enters the skin and should gradually pull the tick straight off. The tick's body should not be grasped or squeezed. Petroleum jelly, alcohol, lit matches, or any other irritants should not be used. For a tick bite, use tweezers to grasp the head and mouthparts and remove gradually. Do not grasp the tick's body and do not try to remove using petroleum jelly, alcohol, or a match. People who have had babesiosis should not donate blood or probably organs to prevent transmission. In the United States, screening of blood and organ donors is now done in states where the incidence of infection is relatively high. 