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Infectious Disease Clinics of North... Jun 2015Babesiosis is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites that are transmitted by ticks, or less commonly through blood transfusion or transplacentally. Human... (Review)
Review
Babesiosis is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoan parasites that are transmitted by ticks, or less commonly through blood transfusion or transplacentally. Human babesiosis was first recognized in a splenectomized patient in Europe but most cases have been reported from the northeastern and upper midwestern United States in people with an intact spleen and no history of immune impairment. Cases are reported in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and South America. Babesiosis shares many clinical features with malaria and can be fatal, particularly in the elderly and the immunocompromised.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Babesia; Babesiosis; DNA, Protozoan; Enzyme Inhibitors; Erythrocytes; Humans; Polymerase Chain Reaction
PubMed: 25999229
DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2015.02.008 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Mar 2020Increases in tick-borne disease prevalence and transmission are important public health issues. Efforts to control these emerging diseases are frustrated by the struggle... (Review)
Review
Increases in tick-borne disease prevalence and transmission are important public health issues. Efforts to control these emerging diseases are frustrated by the struggle to control tick populations and to detect and treat infections caused by the pathogens that they transmit. This review covers tick-borne infectious diseases of nonrickettsial bacterial, parasitic, and viral origins. While tick surveillance and tracking inform our understanding of the importance of the spread and ecology of ticks and help identify areas of risk for disease transmission, the vectors are not the focus of this document. Here, we emphasize the most significant pathogens that infect humans as well as the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that they cause. Although detection via molecular or immunological methods has improved, tick-borne diseases continue to remain underdiagnosed, making the scope of the problem difficult to assess. Our current understanding of the incidence of tick-borne diseases is discussed in this review. An awareness of the diseases that can be transmitted by ticks in specific locations is key to detection and selection of appropriate treatment. As tick-transmitted pathogens are discovered and emerge in new geographic regions, our ability to detect, describe, and understand the growing public health threat must also grow to meet the challenge.
Topics: Animals; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Humans; Tick-Borne Diseases; Ticks
PubMed: 31896541
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00083-18 -
Parasites & Vectors Jun 2016Canine babesiosis is a significant tick-borne disease caused by various species of the protozoan genus Babesia. Although it occurs worldwide, data relating to European... (Review)
Review
Canine babesiosis is a significant tick-borne disease caused by various species of the protozoan genus Babesia. Although it occurs worldwide, data relating to European infections have now been collected for many years. These data have boosted the publication record and increased our working knowledge of these protozoan parasites. Both the large and small forms of Babesia species (B. canis, B. vogeli, B. gibsoni, and B. microti-like isolates also referred to as "B. vulpes" and "Theileria annae") infect dogs in Europe, and their geographical distribution, transmission, clinical signs, treatment, and prognosis vary widely for each species. The goal of this review is to provide veterinary practitioners with practical guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of babesiosis in European dogs. Our hope is that these guidelines will answer the most frequently asked questions posed by veterinary practitioners.
Topics: Animals; Babesia; Babesiosis; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Europe
PubMed: 27289223
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1596-0 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2021are tick-borne intra-erythrocytic parasites and the causative agents of babesiosis. , which are readily transfusion transmissible, gained recognition as a major risk to... (Review)
Review
are tick-borne intra-erythrocytic parasites and the causative agents of babesiosis. , which are readily transfusion transmissible, gained recognition as a major risk to the blood supply, particularly in the United States (US), where is endemic. Many of those infected with remain asymptomatic and parasitemia may persist for months or even years following infection, such that seemingly healthy blood donors are unaware of their infection. By contrast, transfusion recipients are at high risk of severe babesiosis, accounting for the high morbidity and mortality (~19%) observed in transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB). An increase in cases of tick-borne babesiosis and TTB prompted over a decade-long investment in blood donor surveillance, research, and assay development to quantify and contend with TTB. This culminated in the adoption of regional blood donor testing in the US. We describe the evolution of the response to TTB in the US and offer some insight into the risk of TTB in other countries. Not only has this response advanced blood safety, it has accelerated the development of novel serological and molecular assays that may be applied broadly, affording insight into the global epidemiology and immunopathogenesis of human babesiosis.
PubMed: 34578209
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091176 -
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Jan 2019Babesiosis is most commonly caused by Babesia microti and is transmitted via the bite of an infected Ixodes spp tick. However, Babesia is also transmitted via blood...
Babesiosis is most commonly caused by Babesia microti and is transmitted via the bite of an infected Ixodes spp tick. However, Babesia is also transmitted via blood transfusion. In the United States, the first case of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis was recognized in 1979, and in recent years, the incidence has rapidly increased. Because most of the infected blood donors do not experience any symptoms, they pose a significant risk to the blood supply. Donor deferral for a history of babesiosis is currently performed but is ineffective. In March 2018, the FDA licensed a DNA PCR and antibody assay that were used in tandem in pivotal trials for screening blood donors for B microti; with other assays still being evaluated under investigational new drug protocols. Blood donation screening is essential to reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis, which is why blood centers collecting in geographic regions of highest risk have been testing since approximately 2010. Investigational NAT assays of higher sensitivity are pending FDA review. Further, in July 2018, the FDA issued a draft guidance for reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted babesiosis. Release of the final guidance may be postponed until sensitivities and specificities of all current and potential strategies have been properly evaluated.
Topics: Babesiosis; Blood Donors; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Donor Selection; Erythrocytes; Humans; Transfusion Reaction
PubMed: 30376376
DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2017-0250-RS -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2019The incidence and geographic distribution of human babesiosis is growing in the U.S. Its major causative agent is the protozoan parasite, . is transmitted to humans... (Review)
Review
The incidence and geographic distribution of human babesiosis is growing in the U.S. Its major causative agent is the protozoan parasite, . is transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of ticks, which are vectors for a number of other pathogens. Other routes of transmission are blood transfusion and in rare cases of mother-to-foetus transmission, through the placenta. This review discusses the current literature on mammalian coinfection with and , the causative agent Lyme disease.
PubMed: 31370180
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8030117 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2021Parasites from diverse hosts morphologically identified as have previously been shown to belong to a paraphyletic species complex. With a growing number of reports of... (Review)
Review
Parasites from diverse hosts morphologically identified as have previously been shown to belong to a paraphyletic species complex. With a growing number of reports of -like parasites from across the world, this paper seeks to report on the current knowledge of the diversity of this species complex. Phylogenetic analysis of 18S rDNA sequences obtained from GenBank shows that the diversity of the species complex has markedly increased and now encompasses at least five distinct clades. This cryptic diversity calls into question much of our current knowledge of the life cycle of these parasites, as many biological studies were conducted before DNA sequencing technology was available. In many cases, it is uncertain which -like parasite was studied because parasites from different clades may occur sympatrically and even share the same host. Progress can only be made if future studies are conducted with careful attention to parasite identification and PCR primer specificity.
PubMed: 34578201
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10091168 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2017Understanding host-pathogen-tick interactions remains a vitally important issue that might be better understood by basic research focused on each of the dyad interplays.... (Review)
Review
Understanding host-pathogen-tick interactions remains a vitally important issue that might be better understood by basic research focused on each of the dyad interplays. Pathogens gain access to either the vector or host during tick feeding when ticks are confronted with strong hemostatic, inflammatory and immune responses. A prominent example of this is the spp.-tick-vertebrate host relationship. spp. are intraerythrocytic apicomplexan organisms spread worldwide, with a complex life cycle. The presence of transovarial transmission in almost all the species is the main difference between their life cycle and that of other piroplasmida. With more than 100 species described so far, are the second most commonly found blood parasite of mammals after trypanosomes. The prevalence of spp. infection is increasing worldwide and is currently classified as an emerging zoonosis. and are the most frequent etiological agents associated with human babesiosis in North America and Europe, respectively. Although the -tick system has been extensively researched, the currently available prophylactic and control methods are not efficient, and chemotherapeutic treatment is limited. Studying the molecular changes induced by the presence of in the vector will not only elucidate the strategies used by the protozoa to overcome mechanical and immune barriers, but will also contribute toward the discovery of important tick molecules that have a role in vector capacity. This review provides an overview of the identified molecules involved in -tick interactions, with an emphasis on the fundamentally important ones for pathogen acquisition and transmission.
Topics: Animals; Antigens; Arthropod Proteins; Babesia; Babesiosis; Calreticulin; Disease Vectors; Glycoproteins; Host-Parasite Interactions; Salivary Glands; Tick-Borne Diseases; Ticks
PubMed: 29034218
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00429 -
Revue Scientifique Et Technique... Aug 2015Babesiosis is the disease caused by infection of the erythrocytes of mammals by Babesia species, which are Apicomplexa protozoa belonging to the suborder Piroplasmidea... (Review)
Review
Babesiosis is the disease caused by infection of the erythrocytes of mammals by Babesia species, which are Apicomplexa protozoa belonging to the suborder Piroplasmidea and the family Babesiidae. They are different from the Theileriidae, which can also infect white blood cells and endothelial cells. Babesiosis is one of the most important tick-borne infectious diseases of domestic and wild mammals and still poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for veterinary practitioners around the world. It is an increasing problem worldwide because of the expansion of tick habitats and the increased mobility of animals, which promote the spread of parasites into new geographical areas. Babesia species can, exceptionally, infect humans, especially splenectomised or immunocompromised individuals. The majority of human cases involve B. microti, a parasite of rodents, but human infections may also be caused by B. divergens, which infects cattle, or by Babesia related to B. odocoilei, which infect cervids. The majority of new developments, in regard to taxonomy, epidemiology, pathogenesis and control, concern canine babesiosis, whereas piroplasmosis in horses or cattle retains the classical description, therefore the focus of this article will be on infection in dogs.
Topics: Animals; Babesia; Babesiosis; Europe; Humans
PubMed: 26601462
DOI: 10.20506/rst.34.2.2385 -
Infectious Disease Clinics of North... Jun 2015Human granulocytic anaplasmosis, a deer tick-transmitted rickettsial infection caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is a common cause of undifferentiated fever in the... (Review)
Review
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis, a deer tick-transmitted rickettsial infection caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is a common cause of undifferentiated fever in the northeast and upper Midwest United States. Patients are often initially diagnosed with a mild viral infection, and illness readily resolves in most cases. However, as many as 3% develop life-threatening complications and nearly 1% die from the infection. Although coinfections with Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti occur, there is little evidence to suggest synergism of disease or a role for A phagocytophilum in chronic illness. No vaccine is available.
Topics: Anaplasma phagocytophilum; Anaplasmosis; Fever; Granulocytes; Humans; Risk Factors
PubMed: 25999228
DOI: 10.1016/j.idc.2015.02.007