Severe babesiosis caused by Babesia divergens in a host with intact spleen, Russia, 2018

We report a case of severe babesiosis caused by the bovine pathogen Babesia divergens with the development of multisystem failure in a splenic host. Immunosuppression other than splenectomy can also predispose people to B. divergens. There was heavy multiple invasion of up to 14 parasites inside the erythrocyte, which had not been previously observed even in asplenic hosts. The factors preventing the effectiveness of the vector Ixodes ricinus in the transmission of the organisms to humans are discussed.
Source: Ticks and Tick borne Diseases - Category: Zoology Source Type: research