Babesiosis

Title

Other Names:

Babesia parasite infection; Human babesiosis

Categories:

Parasitic diseases

Summary Summary

Babesiosis refers to a condition caused by microscopic parasites that infect the red blood cells. Many people who are infected with Babesia parasites do not experience any symptoms of the condition. When present, signs and symptoms may include flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, body aches, nausea and fatigue. In severe cases, babesiosis can be associated with hemolytic anemia. Babesia parasites are primarily spread by infected ticks. Treatment is generally only required in people who develop symptoms of the condition. When necessary, affected people are often prescribed a combination of antimicrobial medications along with supportive care to manage symptoms.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Last updated: 7/23/2017

Symptoms Symptoms

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms	Other Names	Learn More: HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Fever		0001945
Headache	Headaches	0002315
Hemolytic anemia		0001878
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Arthralgia	Joint pain	0002829
Cough	Coughing	0012735
Fatigue	Tired Tiredness [ more ]	0012378
Hepatomegaly	Enlarged liver	0002240
Hyperhidrosis	Excessive sweating Increased sweating Profuse sweating Sweating Sweating profusely Sweating, increased [ more ]	0000975
Jaundice	Yellow skin Yellowing of the skin [ more ]	0000952
Leukopenia	Decreased blood leukocyte number Low white blood cell count [ more ]	0001882
Myalgia	Muscle ache Muscle pain [ more ]	0003326
Splenomegaly	Increased spleen size	0001744
Thrombocytopenia	Low platelet count	0001873
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Anorexia		0002039
Clinodactyly of the 5th toe		0001864
Coma		0001259
Confusion	Disorientation Easily confused Mental disorientation [ more ]	0001289
Congestive heart failure	Cardiac failure Cardiac failures Heart failure [ more ]	0001635
Depressivity	Depression	0000716
Disseminated intravascular coagulation		0005521
Hepatic failure	Liver failure	0001399
Hypercoagulability		0100724
Limitation of joint mobility	Decreased joint mobility Decreased mobility of joints Limited joint mobility Limited joint motion [ more ]	0001376
Myocardial infarction	Heart attack	0001658
Nausea and vomiting		0002017
Photophobia	Extreme sensitivity of the eyes to light Light hypersensitivity [ more ]	0000613
Recurrent pharyngitis	Recurrent sore throat	0100776
Renal insufficiency	Renal failure Renal failure in adulthood [ more ]	0000083
Respiratory insufficiency	Respiratory impairment	0002093
Venous thrombosis	Blood clot in vein	0004936

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Do you have more information about symptoms of this disease? We want to hear from you.

Last updated: 10/1/2018

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Related Diseases Related Diseases

Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Differential diagnoses include other infectious diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, typhoid (see these terms) and infectious mononucleosis. Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Organizations Organizations

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Social Networking Websites

Visit the Babesia Blows group on Facebook.

Do you know of an organization? We want to hear from you.

Learn More Learn More

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

You can obtain information on this topic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States.

In-Depth Information

Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Babesiosis. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

News & Events News & Events

News

NCATS Rare Diseases Are Not Rare! Challenge
October 9, 2018
The NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Network Expands
September 26, 2018

GARD Answers GARD Answers

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References References

Burke A Cunha, MD. Babesiosis. Medscape Reference. May 2017; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/212605-overview.
Jeffrey A Gelfand, MD, FACP, Edouard G Vannier, PhD. Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of babesiosis. UpToDate. June 2017; Accessed 7/23/2017.
Parasites - Babesiosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 2012; https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/babesiosis/.

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