{"id":33151,"date":"2017-07-24T21:03:51","date_gmt":"2017-07-25T02:03:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danielcameronmd.com\/babesia-cases-skyrocket-wisconsin-26-fold-increase\/"},"modified":"2025-01-13T21:13:53","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T03:13:53","slug":"babesia-cases-skyrocket-wisconsin-26-fold-increase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danielcameronmd.com\/babesia-cases-skyrocket-wisconsin-26-fold-increase\/","title":{"rendered":"Babesia cases skyrocket in Wisconsin with a 26-fold increase"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Wisconsin, between 2001 and 2015, \u201cthere was a 26-fold increase in the incidence of confirmed babesiosis<\/em>, in addition to geographic expansion,\u201d according to MMWR<\/span>.<\/a><\/span> [1] The report listed suburbanization, forest fragmentation patterns, and warming average temperatures as potential causes behind the surge.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The rising prevalence of co-infections in rodents may also be to blame for the rise in Babesia<\/em> cases. When studying the Northeastern region, Diuk-Wasser from Columbia University<\/span> <\/a><\/span>in New York City found \u201cthe prevalence of co-infection tends to be greater in rodents, ranging from 6% to 41%, because they are exposed to multiple tick bites during their lifetime.\u201d [2] Furthermore, she adds, \u201cthe prevalence of B. burgdorferi<\/em> and B. microti<\/em> co-infection ranges from 0% to 13% in nymphs and from 2% to 13% in adults.\u201d<\/p>\n

Babesia<\/em> can be severe, causing life-threatening symptoms. According to the report, in Wisconsin between 2001 and 2015, \u201cthree deaths occurred, one in a woman aged 88 years, and two in men aged 64 and 72 years.\u201d [1] Most cases, however, are treated without hospitalization. Thirty-five percent of the confirmed Babesia<\/em> cases, and 76% of the probable cases were treated in the community.<\/p>\n

Of the confirmed cases:<\/span>
\n\u2022 64% = male
\n\u2022 68% = over age 60
\n\u2022 96% = onset of illness occurred between April and October<\/p>\n

Individuals contracting Babesia<\/em> through blood transfusions has also been reported. \u201cThree confirmed cases of transfusion-associated transmission were detected in 2008 and one in 2011, before implementation of routine screening for babesiosis<\/em> by Wisconsin blood banks in 2016,\u201d according to MMWR. [1]<\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”Babesia cases skyrocket in Wisconsin. ” username=”DrDanielCameron”]<\/p>\n

The authors point out that perinatal transmission of Babesia<\/em> has been reported, as well. Transplacental transmission is not described in the MMWR Wisconsin report, but was discussed in a 2017 review of tick-borne diseases in the Cleveland Clinic of North America.<\/span> <\/a><\/span>[3]<\/p>\n

Babesia cases spread throughout Wisconsin<\/strong><\/p>\n

During 2001 \u2013 2005, 20 counties in Wisconsin (28% of the state) reported at least one confirmed case of Babesia<\/em>. That number rose to 30 counties between 2006 and 2010. And during 2011 \u2013 2015, the number of counties reporting at least one case had jumped to 40.<\/p>\n

The actual number of Babesia<\/em> cases in Wisconsin is unknown. To be considered a confirmed case, the MMWR required a blood smear or a 4-fold increase or greater in B. microti<\/em> immunoglobulin G [IgG] antibody titers. [1] However, the blood smear has poor sensitivity, the authors point out. \u201cBlood smear exam has a substantially lower sensitivity of detection of parasites (100\u2013500 parasites\/\u03bcL blood) than does PCR which can be positive at concentrations as low as one to three parasites per \u03bcL of blood.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Related posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Study raises concerns for Babesia patients and blood banks<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Babesia becomes the number 2 tick-borne illness behind Lyme disease in the Hudson Valley\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sweats may be a sign of Babesia<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Babesia and Lyme – it’s worse than you think<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

References:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Stein E, Elbadawi LI, Kazmierczak J, Davis JP. Babesiosis Surveillance – Wisconsin, 2001-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66(26):687-691.<\/li>\n
  2. Diuk-Wasser MA, Vannier E, Krause PJ. Coinfection by Ixodes Tick-Borne Pathogens: Ecological, Epidemiological, and Clinical Consequences. Trends Parasitol. 2015.<\/li>\n
  3. Eickhoff C, Blaylock J. Tickborne diseases other than Lyme in the United States. Cleve Clin J Med. 2017;84(7):555-567.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In Wisconsin, between 2001 and 2015, \u201cthere was a 26-fold increase in the incidence of confirmed babesiosis, in addition to geographic expansion,\u201d according to MMWR. [1] The report listed suburbanization, forest fragmentation patterns, and warming average temperatures as potential causes behind the surge. The rising prevalence of co-infections in rodents may also be to blame […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lyme-science-blog"],"yoast_head":"\nBabesia cases skyrocket in Wisconsin with a 26-fold increase - Daniel Cameron MD<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/danielcameronmd.com\/babesia-cases-skyrocket-wisconsin-26-fold-increase\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Babesia cases skyrocket in Wisconsin with a 26-fold increase - Daniel Cameron MD\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Surveillance data from Wisconsin published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) demonstrates the seriousness and warranted concern over the spread of the tick-borne disease, Babesia. 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