title: Serosurvey for human babesiosis in New York.
abstract: Healthy individuals at high risk of exposure to ticks were surveyed to determine the prevalence and incidence of asymptomatic babesiosis on Shelter Island, New York, during a single transmission season. Paired sera obtained in June and October 1978 were tested for antibodies to Babesia microti by indirect immunofluorescence. Point prevalence values of 4.4% in June and 6.9% in October were obtained. Six of 102 persons tested in both months showed at least a fourfold rise in titer of antibodies to B. microti (an incidence of 5.9% for the season). None of 300 serum specimens obtained from the New York City metropolitan area had significant titers to B. microti. Of the six persons who seroconverted, four gave a history of tick bite during the transmission season; three of the four persons claimed to recognize the tick as an Ixodes dammini, the vector for B. microti.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001403:Babesia / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D012621:Seasons; D012698:Serologic Tests
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies