Latest news with #Babesiosis
Newsweek
09-07-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Experts Warn of Spreading Tick Bite Disease
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A rapidly spreading disease caused by tick bites has now found its way to Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., according to a study, published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, released earlier this year. "Tick-borne diseases increasingly threaten the health of people in the U.S.," a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spokesperson told Newsweek. "Improved understanding about reported tick-borne illnesses, expanding geographic ranges for ticks, and risk factors will help prevent and control tick-borne disease," they added. Babesiosis is an "important public health problem" because of "risk factors that lead to increased severity," Jorge L. Benach, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stony Brook University, told Newsweek. What Is Babesoisis? Babesiosis is a disease caused by a parasite that infects red blood cells, and spreads primarily through bites by black-legged (deer) ticks. Some people show no symptoms, but for some, the disease can result in the development of hemolytic anemia—a condition where your red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be replaced. For those who do not have a spleen, have a weak immune system, have serious health issues such as liver or kidney disease or are older than 50, the disease can be serious and even fatal, the CDC reported. Many ticks and human patients are "coinfected" by both babesiosis and the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, another tick-bite bacterial infection, Richard S. Ostfeld, a senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, told Newsweek. "These coinfections can be hard to treat and lead to severe symptoms," he said. Babesiosis and Lyme disease are transmitted by the same tick, so babesiosis is following a "remarkably similar pattern of spread in the northeastern and midwestern U.S. to that of Lyme disease," Ostfeld said. The emergence of the disease in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic is therefore "not totally unexpected as Lyme is also increasingly reported in Virginia," Jeffrey Wilson, a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia, told Newsweek. A CDC spokesperson told Newsweek that "the number of babesiosis cases reported each year has increased over time." Now, more than 2,000 babesiosis cases are reported each year, they said, with the majority of babesiosis cases are reported in the Northeast and Midwest of the U.S. Babesiosis is considered endemic in 10 states, the spokesperson said, in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The CDC spokesperson recommended people "seek care from a provider if they develop symptoms within several days to weeks after a tick bite, including rash or fever." However, they added that the CDC "does not recommend testing after a tick bite unless a person is experiencing new onset of symptoms, consistent with a tick-borne disease." How Concerned Experts Are "I am very concerned by babesiosis, as this can be debilitating and is spreading rapidly in the U.S," Richard S. Ostfeld, a senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, told Newsweek. "Awareness of babesiosis tends to be quite low in the health care community and the general population, so it often goes undiagnosed and untreated," he said. Durland Fish, a professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, also told Newsweek he was "very concerned." "It has the potential to become a much more important public health threat than Lyme disease because of its high mortality rate - 2 percent overall cases, 10 percent immunocompromised cases, and 20 percent by blood transfusion - and its continuing geographic spread," he said. Benach also said that given America's aging population and "increased used of immunosuppressive drugs, the frequency of babesiosis could be expected to increase as well." As coinfection of babesiosis and Lyme disease are possible, accurate diagnosis can be "very difficult," so while a patient might be treated for Lyme, "the treatment would not affect the Babesia parasites and the patient may not feel better," Nicole Baumgarth, director of the Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Newsweek. As a result, "they might be misdiagnosed as having "post treatment Lyme disease syndrome" if symptoms persist for over six months," she added. This would mean that treatment is "delayed and the patient might get increasingly ill." Additionally, if the disease is not diagnosed and the patient gives blood, "this could affect the blood supply and the parasite could be introduced to severely ill or immunocompromised patients," Baumgarth said. "Screening of blood for Babesia is becoming a must." The positive thing is "the diagnosis is not difficult if you know what to look for," she added, because the parasites are in the blood stream - whereas with Lyme disease, the pathogen "is not usually in the blood stream and detection of antigen is usually negative." Although, while it can be "severe" among vulnerable groups, babesiosis is "not as common as other tick-borne diseases such as Lyme and in many, perhaps most cases, has a relatively benign course," Wilson said. File photo: Two ticks can be seen on the top of a stalk in a meadow. File photo: Two ticks can be seen on the top of a stalk in a meadow. Patrick Pleul/dpa via AP What Should Be Done? "The growing prevalence and geographic spread of babesiosis means that the health care community needs to be educated much more widely so that they don't miss cases," Ostfeld said. "Patients suspected to have a tick-borne illness should be tested for multiple pathogens." "Unfortunately, federal support for these kinds of studies is now being ripped away from research labs, leaving the public at much greater risk," Ostfeld said. Fish said that the emergence of babesiosis has complicated the problem of preventing tick-borne disease. "Although preventive vaccines have been developed for Lyme disease in humans and wildlife, they do not prevent babesiosis or the many other diseases caused by deer ticks," he said. Another issue is babesiosis requires a different treatment to other tick-borne infections like Lyme, Wilson said. "We currently have no comprehensive strategies to reduce or even assess comprehensively the risk of ticks on human public health," Baumgarth said. "Thus, increases in babesiosis are likely not going to be the only increases in tick-mediated infections that we can expect to see." How To Protect Yourself From Ticks The CDC spokesperson told Newsweek it is important to be aware of where ticks live - in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or even on animals. "Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting could bring you in close contact with ticks," they said. If you do go in these areas, avoid wooded or brushy patches with high grass and leaf litter and walk in the center of trails. For protection, people can treat clothing, boots, and camping gear, with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin, which will continue to be protective after several washings. Wilson also advised Americans to wear pants, long socks, long-sleeve shirts and light-colored clothing when going outdoors in tick territory, and recommended that they perform tick checks afterward. Americans can also use The Tick App, a free smartphone app that "provides lots of important information and can identify ticks that bit people if they submit a photo," Maria Diuk-Wasser, a professor of ecology, evolution and environmental biology at Columbia University, told Newsweek.
NDTV
28-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Fitness Influencer Paralysed By Tick Bite, Now Battling To Walk Again
Maria Palen, a fitness influencer from California, is learning to walk again after a rare illness caused partial paralysis and turned her life upside down. Palen first revealed her health struggle in a September 2024 Instagram post, where she described how a sudden and mysterious illness left her bedridden. In December, she reported some signs of improvement, such as regaining minimal movement in one leg and the ability to take small steps. Her condition began with minor aches and pains that slowly worsened. By March 2024, she had lost 20 pounds and was no longer able to function normally. "It felt like my body completely gave up on me," she said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by maria (@planthlete_maria) Doctors initially suspected an autoimmune disease, but later discovered that Palen had contracted Babesiosis, a rare and potentially serious illness caused by parasites transmitted through tick bites. These parasites attacked her red blood cells and severely weakened her immune system. Palen described experiencing extreme pain from everyday tasks like using her phone or turning a steering wheel. Her condition deteriorated rapidly in October 2024 after she began feeling feverish and weak. While hospitalised, she became paralysed from the waist down. Tests revealed high white blood cell levels in her spinal fluid, indicating inflammation or infection affecting her spinal cord. Though her doctors were unable to give a clear diagnosis, Palen believes her symptoms may be connected to Lyme disease. She was treated with antibiotics, which helped clear the infection, but the nerve damage had already been done. Palen now lives with her family in Texas after losing her apartment and career. A GoFundMe campaign launched in January has raised over $12,000 to support her recovery. Doctors have given her a one-in-three chance for full, partial, or no recovery. Despite the uncertainty, Palen remains hopeful. "I have to be optimistic. If not, I would mentally spiral," she said. Her goal is to fully walk again, and she continues daily rehabilitation.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers raise red flag that doctors may be underprepared for devastating new disease emerging in US: 'We want to give the early warning'
Babesiosis, a disease typically spread by blacklegged ticks, is on the rise in the mid-Atlantic, causing concern among researchers who fear doctors are unprepared for a rise in cases. Babesiosis is a malaria-like disease that is more commonly found in the Northeast and upper Midwest of the United States. However, researchers found that the disease is spreading in the mid-Atlantic states, including Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, due to changing weather patterns in recent years. "They're small numbers, but that's why we want to give the early warning before more people get sick," said study co-author Ellen Stromdahl, Ph.D., a retired entomologist at the Vector-Borne Disease Laboratory sector of the Defense Centers for Public Health - Aberdeen. Climate change is leading to a number of factors that are putting humans at risk of disease-carrying insects and animals such as blacklegged ticks. First, warming temperatures are disrupting the biodiversity of certain ecosystems, which leads to fewer animals that would typically eat and help control the population of vectors like ticks. Some of these vectors have been displaced from other locales as a result of extreme heat, causing them to spread out toward areas with populations who aren't typically exposed to the diseases they carry. Second, warm winters have allowed vectors to breed for longer. In the mid-Atlantic region, where temperatures have been warmer-than-average in recent years, ticks and other critters that can carry the Babesia parasite, which causes babesiosis, have been able to thrive. Babesia has never been found in Virginia, Maryland, or Delaware ticks until now, according to Grist. These factors have led to upticks in cases of babesiosis, dengue fever, West Nile virus, and other diseases in areas where they are typically less common. Because they are less common, physicians experienced in these diseases are often not present in these locales, which can exacerbate the spread. Stromdahl hopes that her research will help raise awareness among physicians in the mid-Atlantic so that they know what to look for when diagnosing babesiosis. She also hopes it will lead local health departments to track ticks and issue public health warnings. On a personal level, taking steps to reduce your own pollution can help curb the rate of planet-warming gases being put into the atmosphere, which can help slow the disruption of vectors' habitats. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Hill
08-06-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Lyme-disease isn't the only tick-borne threat. Doctors warn these other diseases are spreading
(NEXSTAR) – You've likely heard public health officials' repeated pleas to check yourself, your kids and your pets for tick bites, which can spread serious diseases. While Lyme disease gets the most attention – and affects the most people – there are other tick-borne bacteria and diseases that have also been found spreading in the U.S. Just last month, Connecticut researchers said they identified the first case of a longhorned tick infected with a pathogen called ehrlichia chaffeensis. Infections can give people fever chills, headaches, muscle aches and stomach issues. 'We also worry about a parasite called Babesia, which causes a disease called Babesiosis,' said Nicole Baumgarth, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a recent briefing on tick-borne illnesses. The same ticks that carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease can carry this parasite, which then infects people's red blood cells, causing anemia and other 'very serious consequences,' Baumgarth said. Some people infected by the parasite may feel flu-like symptoms, explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while others may have no symptoms at all. That's a problem if people live with the parasite and then donate their infected blood, which can cause harm to the people who receive it as a transfusion. Baumgarth also warned of viruses that can be spread by ticks, such as tick-borne encephalitis. It's an infection that can cause inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. It's a bigger problem in Europe than in the U.S., she said, but here we have Heartland virus and Powassan virus to contend with. 'Both viruses are still very rare, but we have seen our first case of Heartland virus in Maryland last year, and the fact that we are now seeing these virus infections in areas that we haven't seen them before, it probably indicates the tip of the iceberg,' said Baumgarth. Because these viruses are rarer, and their symptoms can be non-specific, doctors don't usually think to test for them, Baumgarth explained. Many cases of Heartland and Powassan virus could be left uncounted as a result. 'So it would be rare that we diagnose it because we are not looking hard enough for it right now,' she said. Both viruses can present with generic first symptoms like fever, headache and vomiting, but can cause serious illness if left unchecked. Powassan virus could lead to seizures, loss of coordination and confusion in severe cases where the brain and spinal cord are impacted. Yet another concern is the tick that can cause people to become allergic to red meat if they're bitten. It's called alpha-gal syndrome and is caused by bites from the Lone Star tick, first identified in Texas. However, this type of tick is 'very aggressively' moving north and becoming a problem in other regions of the country, according to Baumgarth. Some of these rare viruses don't have a treatment or cure, so prevention is what's most important, the CDC says. You should avoid ticks by wearing long sleeves and pants in bushy and wooded areas, using bug repellent, and doing a thorough tick check after spending time outside.
Indian Express
07-06-2025
- Indian Express
17,336 pet dogs registered in Ahmedabad since Jan 1; 490 Rottweilers
Of 17,336 pet dogs registered online by 15,260 pet owners across Ahmedabad since January 1, 490 are Rottweilers. The registration process started on January 1 this year. As per data maintained by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's Cattle Nuisance Control Department (CNCD), Rottweiler is among the top ten breeds registered in the city. Not ruling out the possibility that this breed was mostly registered after the May 12 incident, CNCD Head of Department, Naresh Rajput, told The Indian Express: 'There is a possibility, but I would be able to confirm after going through the registration data.' On May 12, a pet Rottweiler named 'Rocky' mauled to death a four-month-old girl at Radheya Residency, a residential society in Ahmedabad's Hathijan area. The attack had also left the baby's aunt injured. The pet later died of Babesiosis disease on May 27. So far, 4,947 Labradors have been regitered in the city, followed by 1,849 German Shepherds, 1,743 Shih Tzus, 1,711 Golden Retrievers, 1,394 Pomeranians, 728 Beagles, 560 Siberian Huskies, and 512 Pugs. The highest number of registration was recorded in the west zone with over 4,430 dogs registered by around 3,872 owners, followed by northwest zone where over 3,494 pet dogs were registered by around 3048 owners. The online registration of pet dogs was mandated by the AMC under the 'Rabies-Free Ahmedabad City-2030' campaign. While the initial deadline was May 31, it was later extended till June 30. The deadline had been extended twice before that. Owners getting their dogs registered during June 1-30 will have to pay Rs 500 per pet against. Earlier, owners were charged a fee of Rs 200 per dog.
