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Babesia microti
Epidemiology:
1) in northeastern & midwestern United States
2) transmitted by:
a) Ixodes dammini, the same tick that transmits Lyme disease & possibly ehrlichiosis
b) Ixodes scapularis
Pathology:
- major species causing babesiosis in humans
- babesia infects erythrocytes resulting in hemolysis
Clinical manifestations:
- malarial-like symptoms (see babesiosis)
Laboratory:
- peripheral blood smear
- piroplasm, about the size of a malarial schizont
- Babesia microti serology
- Babesia microti antibody in CSF
- Babesia microti antibody in serum
- Babesia microti DNA
- see babesiosis & ARUP consult [2]
Related
babesiosis
General
Babesia
Properties
KINGDOM: animal
PHYLUM: protozoa
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, 19.
American ollege of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998, 2021
- ARUP Consult: Babesia microti - Babesiosis
https://arupconsult.com/content/babesia-microti
- Westblade LF, Simon MS, Mathison BA, Kirkman LA.
Babesia microti: from Mice to Ticks to an Increasing Number of
Highly Susceptible Humans.
J Clin Microbiol. 2017 Oct;55(10):2903-2912.
PMID: 28747374 Free PMC article. Review.