A dangerous tick-borne disease is spreading in the US: it can be fatal

The number of new cases of tick-borne babesiosis in the United States increased significantly between 2011 and 2019, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease is progressing in three new states - the disease is now endemic in 10 states in the Northeast and Midwest. Read more about the situation told the publication ABC News.

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This increase is not surprising, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. This is consistent with what experts see in other tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease.

Several factors may be behind this increase, including human behavior and warmer weather. More people are moving to areas with ticks and interacting with animals (such as deer and mice) that the ticks feed on, Chin-Hong says. Climate change also plays a role, he said.

“A warmer climate can increase the survival rate of ticks, shorten their life cycle (many more cycles are possible per season) and increase the length of the tick season,” he notes.

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Usually, the parasite infects a person after being bitten by certain ticks. These mites are found in wooded, shrubby, or grassy areas. They bite most often in spring, summer and autumn, but adult insects can bite in winter if the temperature is above freezing. Although there is no vaccine, the disease can be prevented by limiting contact with ticks.

After infection, symptoms vary. They can range from complete absence to fever, headaches, kidney failure, and even death. Eight deaths were recorded in 2019. Symptomatic patients can be treated with a combination of antibiotics and antiparasitic drugs, according to the CDC.

Prior to this new report, the CDC believed that only seven US states had persistent babesiosis infections. This included Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. However, recently released data show that Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have about the same number of new cases or even more.

Between 2011 and 2019, there were 37 cases of babesiosis in 16 states, most of them in New York (456), according to the report. The highest incidence was recorded in Rhode Island (4738 cases per 18 people in 100). Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire saw the largest increases in new cases. The number of new diseases has increased in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Along with changes in human behavior and climate, awareness of babesiosis has increased in the past decade, among other things, said Dr. Amesh Adala, an infectious disease expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health and Safety. This may be contributing to an increase in cases as people become more likely to notice symptoms and seek medical attention.

“More and more clinicians are ordering tests,” he said. With testing, doctors began to identify cases in new areas.

Prevention of babesiosis and other tick-borne diseases

People traveling or living in areas where the disease is more common should be aware of the risk of contracting babesiosis. The best way to prevent tick-borne diseases is to avoid these parasites. The CDC says people can minimize exposure to mites by covering exposed skin, using repellents, and walking on cleared paths in wooded areas.

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The CDC says that anyone who spends time outdoors in areas where ticks can be present should check their body, clothing, and pets for these carriers of viral and bacterial disease upon entering the home. Showering within 2 hours of going outside and drying your clothes at a high temperature will protect you from being bitten by these parasites.

If you find a tick, pull it out with tweezers.

Babesiosis is not the only disease carried by these insects. Ticks can spread Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and anaplasmosis, among other things.

People should seek medical attention if they become ill after a tick bite.

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