Introduction
Although scientists have made tremendous breakthrough in the field of medicine over the last few centuries, infections caused by protozoa, bacteria and virus continue to affect human population (Leonhard, Anabel, Florin-Christensen, and Morrison, 2012). One of such infection caused by protozoa is babesiosis, a disease that affects both human and animals. Protozoa exists in soil and aqueous environments, and their sizes range between 10-50µm. They have continued to cause many sickness, mutilation, death, and debilitation than other similar organisms. Epidemiology is the study of the frequency, causes, and health effects of disease in given populations. The science of epidemiology informs policy decisions and medicine based evidence by risk factors identification that targets preventive medicine. This implies that the world needs to research more about protozoa to improve the current techniques of diagnosing, treating, and preventing all the illness they cause. Conducting more research on babesia protozoa will be important to the human population (Leonhard et al., 2012). It will give physicians more knowledge about the organism; hence, improving their diagnosis and treatment skills. The information will help the government, and other stakeholders in the department of health to come up with better programs to control infections resulting from babesia protozoa. Finally, the information will help ordinary people to avoid the infection through avoid tick exposure and infected blood transfusion.
History of babesia protozoa
Over the years, scientists have known babesiosis to be a serious infection that affects domesticated and wild animals. Victor Babes was the first scientist to discover the disease in 1888. In 1893, two American scientists (Fred Kilborne and Theobald Smith) discovered the parasite as the cause of cattle fever. They also discovered that tick was a transmission agent of this parasite from one animal to another (Leonhard et al., 2012). Initially scientists knew that the parasite only affected nonhuman mammals. However, physicians discovered the first case of the disease affecting a human being in 1957. This observation revealed that the protozoan parasite could potentially affect human beings and not animals only.
Effects of babesia on human population
Ticks spread babesia through its saliva and the parasite can survive in all its developmental stages, making it more dangerous to human and animals. Most specifies of babesia do not infect human beings, but transmit the disease to cattle, sheep, and horses. However, two species are common to human beings: B. divergens and B. microti. Science attributes most of the cases of transmission among humans to ticks that move from animals to humans. In 2003, there were about 40 cases of babesiosis among human in United States and physicians attributed those cases to tick transmission (Marta, Ana, Alexandra, Maria, & Carlos, 2013). They attributed transmission of the disease from one person to another to blood donations, as they were screening antibodies of the donor’s blood.
Babesia is a form of protozoan parasites that female ticks spread as they suck blood from their hosts. Its infection leads to a hemolytic disease that people refer to as babesiosis. The lifecycle of the protozoa begins with the tick introducing sporozoites into the host when sucking the blood. The sporozoites enter into the host’s blood and start cyclic development, ranging between merozoites and trophozoites. Instead of producing additional trophozoites, some of the merozoites mature to gametocytes. The tick, which is the main vector, then takes gametocytes during blood sucking. They are later fertilized when in the tick’s gut and mature to sporozoites while in the salivary glands. The infected tick then introduces sporozoites into the human beings after biting their skin. Babesia can then transfer from one human to another through blood transfusion , using the tick vector or both methods.
Babesiosis is an infectious disease caused by the genus Babesia protozoa that first invade the red blood cells’ lyse, before spreading to other parts. Human babesiosis epidemiology depends on the Babesia species, vertebrae reservoirs, density of the tick, and the status of immunity of the infected individuals. Normally, the parasite is acquired through a tick bite or may be transmitted through a contaminated blood transfusion and the placenta of the mother to the fetus. Luckily, the possibility of being infected with a symptomatic infection while carrying out a blood transfusion is minimal. It is in febrile hemolytic infection that babesiosis is transfused in the recipient's blood (Marta et al., 2013). Human Babesia infection is accidental since there are no designated reservoir hosts. Scientists attribute the emergence of tick-borne diseases to the increase in animal populations and recreation of human beings in wooded environments, conducive to tick bites. The Babesia infections are from asymptomatic to fatal. Babesia is an apicomplexan parasite of the red blood cell. However, possibility of Babesia infection should be considered when the individual receives blood products from illness-endemic areas, where they display blood counts that are abnormal, such as low iron and leukocyte counts. Lifesaving transfusion exchange is needed in severe cases of Babesia infection.
Symptoms
Patients feel fatigued, drenching sweats, and headache. They also complain of muscle aches, general malaise, and feel nauseated and vomiting. Babesiosis is not easily noticeable and can be fatal to those people without spleen, the aged, and those with a poor immune system (Yabsley & Barbara, 2013). Low blood pressure, a kidney failure, and liver problems may be arising complications.
Babesia species
B. microti clinical manifestations vary from mild to severe, at times ending in death. The symptoms develop from one to six weeks after a tick bite. The reservoir is usually a vertebrae host, where 12 weeks incubation takes place. No pre-erythrocytic stage and noted absence of red blood cells (hemozin deposit).
Diagnosis
One may examine Blood samples through the microscope to identify the organism in the red blood cells, only in the first two weeks of infection. Polymerase test can also detect babesia within the blood DNA. Testing for Babesia antibodies can also help. Microscopy tests are reliable and fast detection methods, although their specificity and sensitivity are limited.
Treatment
Physician use a combination of anti-parasite drugs, atovane, and erythromycin drug to treat Babesia. A full blood count is also crucial in determining severity of the infection. Fulminant babesiosis should be highly expected in patients with congenital asplenia (Rodney & Castillo, 2013). In order to prevent sequelae and potential transmission through blood transfusion, treatment is recommendable. The elderly and people with poor immunity system may be given oral quinine, intravenous (IV) clindamycin in order to avoid acute renal failure. Mechanical ventilation and intubation may be necessary to patients who develop failure or respiratory distress.
Recommendations and action plans
People should avoid infection and spread of the babeosis through avoiding any exposure to ticks. They can undertake strategies for personal prevention such as avoiding areas that are highly invested with ticks. They may also choose to remain oversensitive during seasons that have high tick infestation, using light clothing, and searching for ticks after being in contacts with their hosts. In addition, they should always learn to remove ticks from their bodies, as well as in the bodies of their animals. An effective way to detect this infection is through blood testing. Therefore, the government should set standards for blood screening to ensure the blood components of the donors are tested before transferring it to the patient. This strategy will reduce cases of human-to-human transmission that are common in many parts of the world. It is necessary for physicians who are testing the presence of this infection in the blood to be careful since it resembles plasmodium falciparum (malarial parasite). The distinction is important because it helps the physicians to avoid giving the wrong diagnosis for the infection. In order to distinguish the two infections, it is important for physicians to know that babesia protozoa vary in sizes and shapes and at times, they may contain vacuoles. Finally, there is need for all the stakeholders in the health care sector to work together to combat the spread of this infection. Physicians need to improve their strategies in the manner in which they diagnose and treat this infection. Government need to come with better programs and research in order to see how the spread of the infection can be fully contained. Individuals also have a role to play through high standards of hygiene to minimize the spread of the infection.
References
Leonhard, S., Anabel, E., Florin-Christensen, M. & Morrison, D. (2012). Review: Babesia: A world emerging. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 12(8), 1788-1809.
Marta, G., Ana D., Alexandra, E., Maria, E. & Carlos, E. (2013). Evaluation of the growth-inhibitory effect of trifluralin analogues on in vitro cultured Babesia bovis parasites. International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance, 3, 59-68.
Rodney, H. & Castillo, V. (2013). Protozoa: Biology, Classification and Role in Disease.. In: Microbiology Research Advances. New York: Nova Biomedical.
Yabsley, M. & Barbara, C. (2013). Review: Natural history of Zoonotic Babesia: Role of wildlife reservoirs. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 2, 18-31.
