infections
Babesiosis
Introduction
Babesiosis is infection of red blood cells caused by the protozoaBabesia. Babesiosis is transmitted by the same type of deer ticks (Ixodidae) that transmits Lyme Disease . Babesiosis may cause fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue. To diagnose babesiosis, doctors examine a sample of blood under a microscope and look for the protozoa (a type of infectious organism) or do blood tests. Most otherwise healthy people do not need to be treated, but if symptoms develop, people are usually given a combination of medications. Preventing tick bites helps prevent babesiosis. (See also Overview of Parasitic Infections .) are protozoa (single-cell infectious organisms) that live inside red blood cells and eventually destroy them. Babesiosis is transmitted by the same type of deer ticks (family Ixodidae) that transmits Lyme Disease . These ticks may be infected with the protozoa that cause babesiosis, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease or those that cause other tick-borne diseases such as Babesiosis is common among animals but is relatively uncommon among people. In 2019, there were 2,418 reported cases of babesiosis in the United States from the states where the deer ticks are known to be (seeCenters for Disease Control and Prevention: Babesiosis Data & Statistics).Babesia microtiinfects people on the offshore islands or coastal regions of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York (including eastern Long Island and Shelter Island), and New Jersey. Cases also occur in Wisconsin and Minnesota. DifferentBabesiaspecies infect people in Missouri, Washington, and California and in other areas of the world. 