Babesiosis: A Retrospective Review of 38 Cases in the Upper Midwest

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019 Jul 1;6(7):ofz311. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofz311.

Abstract

Babesiosis is an emerging health risk, and clinicians need to be aware of its different clinical manifestations. In our cohort of 38 patients, almost half did not recall a tick bite, and diagnosis was delayed due to the nonspecific nature of symptoms. Sixty-eight percent of patients required hospitalization, with 21% requiring intensive care unit stay. Coinfection with Lyme, anaplasma, or both Lyme and anaplasma was seen in 24%, 5%, and 8% of the patients, respectively. None of the patients in our cohort died from their disease.

Keywords: babesiosis; parasitic infection; tick-borne illness.