[Human babesiosis - a rare but potentially dangerous zoonosis].
Human babesiosis is caused by the intraerythrocytic parasite of the genus Babesia (phylum Apicomplexa). Humans are commonly infected by the bite of Ixodid ticks. Rarely, transmission does occur perinatal or via contaminated blood transfusion. There is only insufficient data available on the clinical relevance in Europe, whereas there are known endemic states in the United States with an increasing importance of the disease in transfusion medicine. The following article gives an overview of the situation in Germany. Human babesiosis is a zoonotic disease with a worldwide increasing importance according to the increasing number of immunocompromised patients. Clinical symptoms have a wide range from asymptomatic to severe and letal cases. So far, the detection of the parasites in ticks and seroepidemiological data in Europe identified 3 humanpathogenic species: B. microti, B. divergens und B. venatorum (EU1-3). The relative small number of approximately 50 documented human cases is probably due to the lack of knowledge of the disease and the availability of diagnostic tools. Comprehensive systematic investigations of the prevalence in ticks, seroepidemiological data and improved diagnostic tests are urgently needed to evaluate the importance of the parasite.
Medizinische Universitätslaboratorien, Institut für Medizinische Mikrobiologie, Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena.
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Hildebrandt
Zentralinstitut für Labormedizin, Mikrobiologie & Krankenhaushygiene, Krankenhaus Nordwest, Akademisches Lehrkrankenhaus der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main.
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Hunfeld
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001403:Babesia / Q000145:classification; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D060085:Coinfection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008403:Mass Screening; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D064927:Tick Bites / Q000150:complications; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D015047:Zoonoses
D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents